Wine container (hu)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This ritual wine container with exquisite inlaid decoration illustrates a major innovation in China's bronze tradition in the late Eastern Zhou dynasty when, inspired by the nomadic art of the steppes, Chinese craftsmen created a sumptuous surface décor on otherwise austere bronzes. It also epitomizes a critical change in the function of bronze vessels from ritual objects to vehicles for the display of wealth and status.

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