Artwork preview

Ink Tablet Decorated with Mythical Horse and the Eight Trigrams

Xiu Fangzhai

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dark gray rectangular ink tablet with rounded corners. The top edge features a wave-like design with scroll-like patterns on either side. Three Chinese characters are carved across the top center. A mythical horse-like creature with a dragon-like head and a long tail is centered, with flames or smoke emanating from its back. The creature appears to be running or jumping over waves carved at the bottom. The sides have a wave-like design with a pattern resembling a vine or tendril.

Artwork Details

Date
late 19th–early 20th century
Medium
Ink
Culture
China
Dimensions
536 × 625 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette