Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Brick with the Mother Queen of the West
Eastern Han dynasty (25–220)
Not on view
This decorative brick presents an iconic view of Xiwangmu, the Mother Queen of the West. According to Han belief, she governed the land of the immortals. Here, she sits on a throne, dignified by a canopy and guarded by a dragon and a tiger. She wears a special headgear known as sheng. Her attendants—a three-legged bird, a toad, a hare, and a nine-tailed fox—are nearby. Her maids receive a kowtowing figure, presumably the deceased in whose tomb this brick was discovered. An immortal, the one who guided the deceased to this place, stands behind him.
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This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
