Long neck vase with tubular handles

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This elegant vase marks a moment during the Song and Yuan period when artists began to reinterpret archaic bronze designs. While the overall shape is loosely based on an ancient bronze ritual vessel, its elongated neck is inspired by a contemporary ceramic design. The four bladelike lappets also derive from ancient bronzes, but they exist as independent motifs that float free of the vessel shape. To evoke the remote past, bronzes like this example were often applied with a brownish-black patina.

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