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Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.

Ornament with Granulated Decoration

1st century

Not on view

These two miniature ornaments illustrate the brilliance of Han granulation, a technique imported from the West. The shield-shaped ornament represents a magic hearth. The second piece comprises three knotted shapes known as sheng, a type of lady’s headgear associated with the Mother Queen of the West, the reigning goddess of the immortal realm.

Ornament with Granulated Decoration, Gold with granulation, China — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Ornament with Granulated Decoration, Gold with granulation, China

Ornament with Granulated Decoration, Gold with granulation, China

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This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

东汉 “宜子”铭金饰

Title: Ornament with Granulated Decoration

Period: Eastern Han dynasty (25–220)

Date: 1st century

Culture: China

Medium: Gold with granulation

Dimensions: H. 9/16 in. (1.5 cm); W. 3/8 in. (1 cm); Th. 1/4 in. (0.6 cm)

Classification: Gold

Credit Line: Lent by Nanjing Museum

The Met

Asian Art at The Met

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.