ticketsMember | Make a donation

Welcoming spring

15th century
Not on view
In Chinese, both goats and sheep are called yang 羊, which sounds like the word for “sun” (yang 陽). Three goats together, a motif repeated three times here, thus evokes the phrase “three suns welcome spring” (sanyang kaitai 三陽開泰), a wish for an auspicious new year taken from the ancient Book of Change (Yi Jing).

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 明早期 刺繡開泰圖
  • Title: Welcoming spring
  • Artist: Unidentified artist Chinese, 14th–15th century
  • Period: Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
  • Date: 15th century
  • Culture: China
  • Medium: Silk embroidery on simple gauze silk
  • Dimensions: Overall: 84 x 25 in. (213.4 x 63.5 cm)
  • Classification: Textiles-Embroidered
  • Credit Line: Purchase, The Dillon Fund Gift, 1981
  • Object Number: 1981.410
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

Audio

Cover Image for 7325. Welcoming Spring

7325. Welcoming Spring

0:00
0:00
We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. Please email info@metmuseum.org to request a transcript for this track.

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Wang Xizhi watching geese, Qian Xuan Chinese, Handscroll; ink, color, and gold on paper, China
Wang Xizhi watching geese
Qian Xuan
ca. 1295
Children playing in the palace garden, Unidentified artist Chinese, active late 13th–15th century, Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, China
Children playing in the palace garden
Unidentified artist
late 14th–15th century
Portrait of a Member of the Family (?) of Emperor Tongzhi (1862–74)
Unidentified artist
19th century
Mountains in the Snow, Unidentified artist, Handscroll; Ink and color on silk, China
Mountains in the Snow
Unidentified artist
Liu Songnian
Illustrated Story of Yoshitsune, Unidentified artist, Monochrome woodblock print; ink on paper, Japan
Illustrated Story of Yoshitsune
Unidentified artist

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Showing 4 of 6

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.