Qu Yuan and the Fisherman

Shen Hao

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This fan depicts an encounter between the exiled minister Qu Yuan—purported author of the Nine Songs—and a wise fisherman. Dejected at his banishment from the capital, Qu complains to the fisherman of a world gone mad. The fisherman replies that Qu should take the world as it comes and adapt to changing circumstances. This dialogue was made famous in the literary collection Chu ci.

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