Ancient Ritual Bronzes

Ancient Ritual Bronzes

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This embroidered screen illustrates archaic Chinese bronzes, symbols of Confucian ideals. The images and texts depict ritual bronze vessels in the Jin shi suo, a late nineteenth-century Qing compendium that circulated throughout Asia.The screen and books represent an intersection of various media: three-dimensional bronzes depicted pictorially and textually in two-dimensions.This screen would be placed behind the offering table during rituals, as a form of bodily connection and mediation with the ancestors. Embroidered screens were produced in greater number in the late Joseon period. The quality of materials and skillful execution indicate that this screen was likely produced by court workshops.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ancient Ritual BronzesAncient Ritual BronzesAncient Ritual BronzesAncient Ritual BronzesAncient Ritual Bronzes

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.