Red lotus and fish

Tang Guang

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Tang Guang’s name is little recorded in Chinese painting history, but this work reveals that he was a sensitive practitioner of the Piling School manner of flower painting. More than just a decorative work, this painting carries an auspicious new year’s message: in Chinese, “lotus” (lian 蓮) sounds like “year” (nian 年), while “fish” (yu 魚) sounds like “abundance” (yu 餘). Taken together, the meaning is “abundance through the years” (niannian youyu 年年有餘).

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