Nine Guardian Kings
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
77 1/2 x 39 5/8 in. (196.9 x 100.6 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
China · Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Bess Myerson, 1957
Accession Number
57.111
Art Historical Context
Behold the majestic *Nine Guardian Kings*, a captivating hanging scroll from China's Ming dynasty (13681644), now gracing the Metropolitan Museum of's Asian Art collection.ed by an unidentified artist using ink and color paper, this monumental work measures an impressive 77½ x 39⅝ inches (196.9 x 100.6 cm). Hanging scrolls like this were prized in traditional Chinese homes and temples, unrolled vertically for intimate contemplation, often accompanied by poetic inscriptions that enhanced their spiritual resonance. In the vibrant artistic milieu of the Ming era—a golden age of cultural refineme...