On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Chariot fitting in the shape of a tiger’s head
Not on view
Horse-drawn chariots were a formidable weapon on ancient China’s battlefields; a country’s military strength was often measured by the sheer number of its chariots. A commander’s vehicle would have been distinguished by its richly embellished fittings. This naturalistically modeled tiger head finial is ornamented with silver inlays that accentuate the animal’s sharp teeth, whiskers, and eyebrows.
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