Incense Burner with the Eighteen Luohans

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This ceramic vessel captures both the playfulness and power of the luohans (arhats). At right, one luohan fords a river on the back of a tiger while his companion hails a flying dragon; at left, more luohans welcome their companions, who arrive on floating clouds. This piece was produced under the short-lived Southern Ming dynasty, a remnant court that fled to the south after the Qing dynasty had been established in the north. Dated ceramics from the Southern Ming are extremely rare.

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