明 緙絲嬰戯圖|Panel with boys at play
Unknown Artist
late 16th–early 17th century
Medium
Silk and metal thread tapestry (kesi)
Dimensions
Overall: 18 1/4 x 15 in. (46.4 x 38.1 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Tapestries
Culture & Period
China · Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1936
Accession Number
36.65.30
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Ming dynasty tapestry, titled *Panel with Boys at Play*明 緙絲嬰戯圖), dates to the late 16 or early 17th and captures the joyful innocence of children in lively motion. Woven from silk and shimmering metal threads, the 18¼ × 15-inch panel (46.4 × 38.1 cm) depicts boys engaged in playful antics—running, tumbling, and laughing—evoking the warmth of family life in imperial China. Acquired through the Fletcher Fund in 1936, it now graces the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art collection. Crafted in the prestigious *kesi* technique, a slit-tapestry weave unique to China, this artwork...