Artwork preview

Plaque with the five poisonous creatures

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Horizontal arrangement of 13 diamond and square-shaped tiles, outlined in gold, with various colorful patterns and images. The central square tile is purple with yellow and blue geometric patterns and a large yellow diamond in the center featuring a pink snake curled up. The central square tile is flanked by two blue and yellow geometric patterned tiles. The diamond tiles are arranged in a symmetrical pattern on either side of the central square. The diamond tiles feature images of a frog, snake, lizard, scorpion, and centipede. The tiles have a 3D appearance, with slight shadows visible beneath them. The background of the image is a plain gray color. The artwork is titled "Plaque with the five poisonous creatures".

Artwork details

Date:
19th century
Medium:
Painted enamel
Culture:
China
Dimensions:
600 × 282 px
Museum record:
View original
Palette