Inkstone with dragon and carp

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This unusual inkstone is carved from a type of stoneware known as chengni, or “filtered clay.” Made from very fine silted clay that has undergone a labor-intensive process of filtering, kneading, molding, firing, and carving, chengni inkstones became popular during the Song dynasty (960–1279). The vigorous carving style of this piece, however, dates it to the fourteenth century. The inkstone’s decoration invokes the myth that a carp, should it succeed in swimming upstream through the Dragon Gate of the Yellow River, will become a dragon. A metaphor for success on the civil service exam, here, the gulf between carp and dragon is defined by the inkstone and inkwell—whose diligent use might well decide the difference between failure and success.

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