Presentation dish for an imperial lecture1621

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The mark in the rectangular cartouche on the top of the dish notes it was a gift made for an imperial lecture (jingyan) in 1621. In this type of lecture, erudite officials taught Confucian classics to the emperor, who often presented the teachers with valuable gifts, such as this rare example of skillful metalwork from the imperial Ming workshop. The decoration shows a scholar official, proudly walking under a parasol, being escorted to the palace for an imperial lecture.

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