Box with narcissus
An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art
This elegant box features beautifully carved narcissi with blooming flowers and swaying leaves. The complex layering of forms matches the style of Chinese lacquers and jades dating to the early Ming period. An almost identical box, now in the Nezu Museum, Tokyo, however, bears an inscription by the Japanese lacquer artist Yōzei stating he was imitating the work of the Chinese fourteenth-century master Zhang Cheng. Whether this piece proves to be a Chinese original or an unsigned Japanese copy, the extraordinary carving distinguishes the box as an excellent example of cultural exchange between China and Japan during the fifteenth century.
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.