Plaque with dragons

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This exquisite plaque features detailed relief carvings of five sinuous dragons amid stylized clouds. Not satisfied merely to reproduce an existing design, the artist enhanced the motif’s visual appeal by articulating novel attributes for the five dragons, including long, elephantlike snouts, single long horns, feline heads, and even beaks resembling those of an eagle.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art