Basin with lotus pond

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Known as fahua (literally designs with borders), ceramics such as this one share a visual similarity with cloisonné enamel. A white clay paste (or slip) is used to create the outlines of motifs and then filled in with brightly colored enamels. Produced in both north (Shanxi) and south (Jingdezhen) China, fahua ware gained popularity in the late fifteenth to the sixteenth century, slightly later than cloisonné. This elegant work was designed as a small fish bowl or container for paper scrolls on a scholar’s desk.

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