Art Eyewitness Review: Rethinking Etruria at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World

Rethinking Etruria

Institute for the Study of the Ancient World

April 23 - July 25, 2025

Reviewed by Ed Voves

The Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW), located in the shadow of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has added another achievement to its impressive credentials. ISAW, a research facility of New York University, has resolved a mystery of the so-called "mysterious" Etruscan people of ancient Italy.

As I discussed in a series of Art Eyewitness essays about the Etruscans, back in 2020, it is puzzling why there have been no major exhibitions dealing with the fascinating culture of the Etruscans for many decades in the United States. The ISAW solved that problem by presenting Rethinking Etruria, which opened on April 23rd at the Institute's 84th street headquarters.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025)

 Gallery views of the Rethinking Etruria exhibit. The top photo shows bronze votive figurines, 5th century B.C. and sandstone pyramidal bases, found at Poggio Colla. Below, are Kylix cups, 4th-3rd centuries, B.C., decorated by the Sokra Group of Etruscan vase & cup painters.

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Etruscology is a vast and perplexing subject. A non-Indo-European people, the Etruscans were long thought to have migrated to Italy from Asia Minor (present-day Turkey) toward the end of the Bronze Age. Recent DNA studies have confirmed that the Etruscans - or their ancestors - were resident in Italy for a very long time, perhaps as far back as the Neolithic age.                     

                       

The historical Etruscan era extends from their earliest identifiable settlements, ca. 900 B.C., to the time of the conquest and incorporation of the Etruscan city-states by the Roman Republic over the succeeding centuries. By the time of Caesar Augustus, the Etruscans were fully under Rome's control, but it is worth noting that Maecenas, the adviser-in-chief to Augustus, was of Etruscan descent.

Since the ISAW has only two exhibition galleries, both of modest dimensions, it would be impossible to mount a wide-ranging exhibition devoted to the Etruscans. But as with other topics in ancient history which have featured in ISAW exhibits, the ISAW curators are accomplished in making a lot happen in a little space.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025)

 Gallery view of the Rethinking Etruria exhibit. In the background is a replica of the Vicchio Stele, excavated at Poggio Colla in 2015.

Rethinking Etruria focuses on two key sites in Italy which have yielded important discoveries, as recently as 2024.  These are the temple sanctuary of Poggio Colla, located near the town of Vicchio, northwest of Florence, and the spectacular tombs carved into a formidable ridge of tufa rock at Norchia, a rugged area seventy-two kilometers northwest of Rome.

The necropolis of Norchia is hardly a new, unexplored site of archaeological "digs." Norchia featured in the trailblazing expeditions of George Dennis, the "father of Etruscology."  Back in the early 1840's, Dennis and his friend, the artist Samuel Ainsley, roamed the bandit-infested region in search of ancient remains. Dennis recounted the moment of Norchia's discovery in his 1848 book, The Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria.

At length, we turned a corner in the glen, and lo! a grand range of monuments burst upon us. There were a line of sepulchers, high in the face of the cliff which forms the right-hand barrier of the glen, two or three hundred feet above the stream - an amphitheater of tombs!

Dennis was unable to capitalize on his success. A gifted amateur, he lacked private wealth, academic credentials or political patronage. Eventually, his book would ignite interest in Britain in the Etruscans - D.H. Lawrence was a devoted reader. 

In the meantime, it was left to another non-professional, this time from Italy, to conduct a thorough study of Norchia. In 1852, Mariano Lattanzi began excavating several of the temple-like tomb structures cut-into the cliff face of Norchia. Important discoveries have been made since then, but so have the deprivations of tomb robbers, who, heedless of the need to record the details of place and condition, have been the bane of Etruscology.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025)

 Gallery view of Rethinking Etruria, showing the Marce Atie Stamnos, a red-figure stamnos or wine jar, with scenes from the Trojan War. 

In July 2022, a splendid ceramic red-figure vessel, a stamnos, was unearthed in one of the less accessible of the Lattanzi tombs. Evidently, tomb robbers had missed this and several other important, if less spectacular, artifacts, preserved in the tomb.

Known today as the Marce Atie Stamnos, the vessel depicts heroes from the Trojan War: Achilles, Ajax, Nestor and Troilus. Scholars believe that it was created around 330 B.C. in the Etruscan city of Vulci. The Trojan War imagery is credited to a workshop of Etruscan painters called the "Funnel Group" because of the shape of the decorative motif.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025)

 The Greek hero, Achilles, depicted on the Marce Atie Stamnos

And a heroine, too, is shown on the Marce Atie Stamnos. This was an important consideration for the Etruscans who accorded great respect - and property-owning rights - to women. Here we see the Amazon queen, Penthesilea, riding to death and glory before the walls of Troy.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025)

 The Amazon Queen, Penthesilea, killed by Achilles at Troy

A stamnos was used to hold wine for celebrations and religious ceremonies - or in this case as a tomb offering, much as the ancient Egyptians did. 

Ed Voves, Photo (2025)

 On its rim, the Marce Atie Stamnos is inscribed with the name of  

 "Marce Atie (son) of Velxae (and) Paci (or Puci)"

The rim of this ceramic vessel is inscribed with the name of Marce Atie, who commissioned it. He must have been a man with considerable wealth and piety to be able to afford such a lavish gift for use in the "after life."

Ed Voves, Photo (2025)

 Gallery view of Rethinking Etruria. Displayed, at left, behind the

 Marce Atie Stamnos, is a much-eroded portrait of Alexander the Great

Museum authorities in Italy have generously permitted this magnificent vessel to travel to the U.S. for the first time. Although there are fifty important Etruscan artifacts on view in the ISAW exhibition, the Marce Atie Stamnos is such a spectacular work of art that I found it difficult to devote sufficient time and attention to the rest of the exhibition.

This is a problem, for there is much in Rethinking Etruria to study and appreciate. The ISAW exhibition team has facilitated the learning process, however, through short digital image/text displays. These presentations enable visitors to comprehend the exhibition artifacts within the context of Etruscan culture and to visualize the temple of Poggio Colla and the Norchia tombs in their topographical settings.

Much of the information in these presentations is based on the ability of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to sift and integrate masses of data. Drone photographic surveys supplied the details of terrain. The resulting visualizations of what the Norchia "amphitheater of tombs" and the Poggio Colla temple looked like in antiquity are almost magical.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025)

 Two images from the Rethinking Etruria digital presentations. At top, is an aerial view of the Norchia tombs taken by a drone. Below is an AI rendering of the temple-like sepulchers, as they likely appeared in antiquity. Some of these family tombs could hold 80 bodies. 

AI rendering of the Poggio Colla temple as it appeared in antiquity.

© Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (NYU)

AI and 3D imaging were also combined to create a replica of the Stele of Vicchio, found in 2015 during excavations at Poggio Colla. Made of local sandstone, the Vicchio Stele is a gravestone-shaped marker which functioned in similar fashion to representations of tablets showing the Ten Commandments. 

Considering the reputation of the Etruscans as "the most religious of men", the discovery of the Vicchio Stele is an event of great importance. After further study, the stele may resolve some of the mystery of Etruscan sacred beliefs and rituals. 

Ed Voves, Photo (2025)

 A replica of the Vicchio Stele, excavated at Poggio Colla in 2015. The 3D model of the stele was created by the LaGuardia Studio of NYU.

Dating to the 6th century B.C., the Vicchio Stele measures 3.9 by 1.9 feet (1.2 by 0.6 meters) and weighs 500 pounds (227 kg). The stele is inscribed with 120 legible letters and punctuation marks from the Etruscan alphabet. But only one passage of the inscription has been deciphered:

"Of Tinia (or for Tinia) in the (place) of Uni two (objects) were dedicated." 

3D model of the Vicchio Stele with its four inscriptions highlighted.

© Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (NYU)

Tinia and Uni were two of the Etruscan gods. The Vicchio Stele originally stood upright so that people visiting the temple could read the religious inscriptions. Over the course of time, the Poggio Colla temple was burned and rebuilt. During the rebuilding process, the Vicchio Stele was placed in with the foundation stones, helping to strengthen the rising new temple.

There was nothing perfunctory about Etruscan religious practice. The Etruscans lived in close communion with the gods and were notable for their practice of divination. A written code of sacred beliefs and rituals, passed down from the gods to a prophet named Tages, was the foundation of Etruscan civilization.

Scarcely visible today, the inscriptions on the Vicchio Stele were words to live by. Deciphering these cryptic words constitutes a big - if halting - step forward in understanding Etruscan religion.

AI, drone photography, lazer scanning and digital recreations have added immeasurably to our understanding of the ancient world. However, there are occasions when simple photos, taken on the spur-of-the-moment, can rival even the most cutting-edge technology. Below are two photos, recording the excavation of the Marc Atie Stamnos. The look on the face of one of the archaeologists speaks for itself!

Ed Voves, Photo (2025)

 Two images from the Rethinking Etruria digital presentations, showing the excavation of the Marce Atie Stamnos.

The exhilaration of holding a just-excavated treasure like the Marce Atie Stamnos is a pleasure few of us will ever enjoy. But the curators and staff at ISAW have served-up a special treat for history lovers to share when they visit Rethinking Etruria. 

                          

Yes, go ahead and place your fingers on the replica of the Vicchio Stele! Get in touch with history. Feel the sensation of the "mysterious" Etruscans awakening from the sleep of centuries.

***

Text: Copyright of Ed Voves, all rights reserved.                                                  Original photography, copyright of Ed Voves.

 Introductory Image:                                                                                     Ed Voves, Photo (2025) Detail of the Marce Atie Stamnos, showing the Amazon queen, Penthesilea.

The following two images come from the ISAW web pages for the Rethinking Etruria exhibition and are copyright of ISAW/NYU:

AI rendering of the Poggio Colla temple as it appeared in antiquity.

© Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (NYU)

 

 3D model of the Vicchio Stele with its four inscriptions highlighted.

 © Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (NYU)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Art Eyewitness Review: Recasting the Past: the Art of Chinese Bronzes, 1100-1900

 

Recasting the Past: the Art of Chinese Bronzes

 1100-1900

Metropolitan Museum of Art 

February 28 - September 28, 2025

Reviewed by Ed Voves

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is currently re-evaluating Chinese civilization from the vantage point of works of art which have not been viewed in particularly high esteem. The objects on display date from the high Middle Ages (by Western date conventions) to the dawn of the twentieth century. 

Ed Voves, Photo (2025 )

 Tripod Incense Burner, Qing Dynasty, created 1736-95

These bronze cast sculptures, along with works in other media, were held to be derivative exercises in scholarly nostalgia rather than bold statements of cultural vitality, such as those The Met featured in the spectacular Art of Empires exhibit in 2017.

Recasting the Past: the Art of Chinese Bronzes, 1100-1900, is sure to lead to a more positive assessment of these striking works of art. But, as with most generalizations, there are elements of fact which, if viewed out of context, can lead to a distorted appraisal.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025 )

 Ritual Ox Tripod (niuding), used as a cauldron at

 the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Northern Song Dynasty, 1114

Two hundred works of art (half from The Met's incomparable collection) are displayed in the exhibition. Though some of these are not bronzes, all exemplify a major feature of Chinese civilization, called fugu or the "return to the past." 

The historical era which these precious objects celebrated was the very distant past: the Shang dynasty (1600-1046 B.C.) and the two successor Zhou dynasties (1046-256 B.C.) This was China's bronze age, which was revered as a "golden" age.

Shang bronzes are among the most notable works of art produced in Asia. These bronze-cast objects were intended to be functional, not merely ornamental. Most importantly, Shang bronzes were foundational to the cultural expression of the subsequent dynasties which followed over the long course of China's history. The Met has several outstanding examples of Shang bronzes on view in nearby galleries. 

Wine pouring Vessel (Gong), Shang Dynasty, 13th-11th century B.C.

Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

If displayed in a direct "face-off" with the works of art on view in Recasting the Past, the Shang bronzes would "win" by almost all standards of aesthetic judgement. Fugu bronzes and works of jade were made, for the most part, for display or contemplation, unlike Shang bronzes. As a consequence, the scales of judgment seem even more tilted against these later works.

Yet, when viewed from the overarching context of Chinese history, Recasting the Past enables us to value the very impressive levels of technical skill devoted to these later works. These were intended to foster appreciation of China's ancient heritage and to revive the craft methods of bronze casting.

Most importantly, the fugu concept enabled China's cultural elite to withstand the depredations of waves of invaders and thus preserve the core values of their remarkable civilization.

Vase with Archiastic Design, Yuan Dynasty, 14th century

 Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

In addressing these criteria, the Recasting the Past artifacts deserve our consideration as high caliber works of art, indeed.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025 )

 Gallery view of Recasting the Past: the Art of Chinese Bronzes.  

 At left, is a Tripod Incense Burner, c. 1403-24

"Location, location" is the mantra of real estate agents. "Context, context" is the similar refrain for art historians and curators. Recasting the Past provides both for the study of these masterworks of Chinese civilization.

First, let's examine the location of the exhibition.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025 )

 The Astor Chinese Garden Court at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The galleries of Recasting the Past are located adjacent to the Astor Chinese Garden Court. Built by expert Chinese craftsman who used traditional techniques and authentic materials, the Astor Court recreates the courtyard of a scholar-official of the Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644 . It was in such settings that the bronze, jade and ceramic works of art on display in Recasting the Past were first collected by gentleman-savants and used in small group discussions.

The Met has a wonderful depiction of such an event, with the engaging title, Elegant Gathering in the Apricot Garden, ca. 1437. It is an elaborate hand scroll showing the Ming Dynasty statesman, Yan Rong, engaged in cultured activities with several other scholar-officials. One of the scenes shows tables set with painting and calligraphy materials and bronze vessels similar to those on view in the exhibition.

 Xie Huan, Elegant Gathering in the Apricot Garden (detail), c. 1437

 

Such "elegant gatherings" must have been idyllic occasions, especially during the early decades of the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty was comparable both in its begin/end dates and in its influence on Chinese civilization to the role of the Renaissance in Europe.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025 )

 Gallery view of Recasting the Past: the Art of Chinese Bronzes

at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The bronze and jade favored by scholar-officials like Yan Rong tended to be moderate in size, rather than monumental, and very much in the spirit of fugu. Why would the ideal of a "return to the past" find favor in a dynamic state like the Ming Dynasty? 

For that we need historical context. 

Ed Voves, Photo (2025 )

  Ceremonial Bell with Imperial Procession, Landscape, and

 Mythical Creatures in Waves, Northern Song Dynasty, 12th century

The lead work of art in the exhibition is the Ceremonial Bell with Imperial Procession, Landscape, and Mythical Creatures in Waves. This huge - and hugely impressive - bronze bell dates to the early 12th century, the era of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127).

This mighty bell was meant to be functional, sounded by being struck on its surface with mallets. The mythological dragons at its top and the bas-relief depictions of an Imperial procession, replete with elephants and flag bearers, deliberately evoke the artistic motifs and the spirit of the "golden age" Shang Dynasty.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025 )

  Details of Ceremonial Bell with Imperial Procession, Landscape,

 and  Mythical Creatures in Waves

The Song Dynasty, in its two manifestations was ruled by a native Chinese family of Han ancestry. It was a powerful and culturally-dynamic regime. During the 1100's, this political climate changed drastically, as raiders from what is now Manchuria began to assail China. Under pressure, the Song Dynasty regrouped to a new, more defensible capital city, Lin'an, south of the Yangtze River. Then, in 1205, scattered attacks from Mongolia escalated into a full-scale catastrophe. 

By 1279, the unthinkable had occurred. The Mongols under Kublai Khan had invaded all of China. For the first time ever, the entire Middle Kingdom was controlled by a non-Chinese dynasty. 

Historians are divided in their judgments on the Mongol impact on China. The Mongols bestowed high rank on certain elite groups, especially engineers and skilled technicians. Chinese merchants found expanded opportunities in the Mongol dominions which stretched from the Volga River and the Crimea to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. 

The Mongols, however, regarded China's scholar-officials, the traditional governing class of the Middle Kingdom, as a subversive threat to their hegemony over the conquered empire.

The Mongols sharply diminished the access of the scholar-officials to government posts. In a cunning move, the Mongol khans curtailed the elaborate examination process which had long sustained the career track of these scholarly gentlemen in their service to the ruling dynasties of China.

Denied their long-standing position in Chinese society, the scholar-officials retreated to their country homes. In the seclusion of their libraries and gardens, they engaged in fugu connoisseurship. 

Ed Voves, Photo (2025 )

 Fugu artifacts, Yuan Dynasty era, 14th century. From left:

 Incense Burner in the Shape of a Lion; Brush Rest in the Shape of Twin Dragons; Tripod Vase; Paperweights in the Shape of Crabs

The reduction in political status was reflected in the modest scale of the works of art which the scholar-officials treasured. Exquisitely crafted, fugu artifacts were certainly ingenious and conveyed more than a touch of whimsy. Most had at least a nominal use like the intertwined dragons (second from left, above) which functioned as a brush rest and the wrestling crabs which served as a paper weight.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025 )

 Incense Burner in the Shape of a Goose, 14th century

Larger in size, but from the same time period (14th century) was the Incense Burner in the Shape of a Goose. It is a singular creature, with extremely naturalistic detail in its anatomy and plumage, yet with dragon-like eyes. When the incense smoke came wafting out of its beak, the copper-alloy goose must have been an alarming sight to those who had never beheld such a creature before.

These wonderful objects d' art were chiefly meant to please the eyes and console the minds of the Chinese intelligentsia after their demotion in rank. And none better expresses the poignant devotion to China's past by the scholar-officials than a tabletop tableau which evokes the serene atmosphere of the Astor Court.

Rock Landscape with Rectangular Planter "Floating Bridge of Dreams".  Yuan dynasty era, 14th century. Tokugawa Art Museum.

The Rock Landscape with Rectangular Planter dates to the Mongol-dominated 1300's. With a miniature landscape such as this, a scholar-official could find solace and enlightenment,  despite being an "exile" in his native land. And that was especially true for those who lacked the financial resources to maintain an estate like the Astor Chinese Garden Court.

Not just the Chinese were inspired by this small wonder. It is reputed to have been a personal favorite of the Japanese emperor, Go-Daigo, who reigned, 1318-39. The title "Floating Bridge of Dreams", from the last chapter of The Tale of Genji, was bestowed on this marvelous art work, showing that the concept of fugu could be embraced with reverence and enthusiasm in a non-Chinese social setting.

The Mongol Empire took the name of the Yuan Dynasty and assumed many of the traditional features of Chinese civilization. Eventually, they even revived the examination process for government positions. 

However, when factional infighting in the Yuan court occurred during the mid-1300's, the Mongol grip on power weakened. A series of populist uprisings throughout China led to the establishment of the native Ming Dynasty in 1366. 

The Ming triumph revived some of the authority and influence of the scholar-officials who had languished under Mongol disfavor for most of the Yuan era. They celebrated their return to high status by commissioning works of art, very much in the fugu spirit, modestly-proportioned and exquisite in detail. Many of these were created in the workshop of an accomplished father-son team, Hu Wenming and Hu Guangyu.

Hu Wenming, Incense Burner with Flowers,

 Ming Dynasty, late 16th-17th century. 

As might be expected, the revival of traditional ideals of Chinese religious and social mores did occasion the creation of works of art of a size suited to public display. The early Ming emperors sponsored the renovation of Daoist religious shrines, with particular veneration shown to the deity Zhenwu, who was regarded as as a national protector. Several Ming emperors were also devoted to Buddhism and commissioned sculpture portraits of the Buddha and bodhisattvas like Mahamayuri, the Peacock Wisdom King. 

Ed Voves, Photo (2025 )

 Laozi Riding an Ox, created by Xue Mingyang, 

Ming Dynasty, 1569 or 1629

Among the Ming Dynasty works devoted to Daoism, a copper alloy ensemble of Laozi Riding an Ox is particularly striking. Eighteen inches in height, the venerable sage, Laozi, and his ox-steed are depicted headed westward on a journey of enlightenment.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025)

Statue of Sudhana (Shancai Tongz), 1641

Another wanderer in search of enlightenment is Sudhana or Shancai Tongzi. A Buddhist pilgrim, Sudhana is usually shown worshiping Guanyin, the bodhisattva of compassion. This magnificent work of gilded copper alloy, standing 43 inches tall, was made in the Imperial Workshops and is believed have been one of a multi-figure group. If so, it was surely part of one of the greatest of all Ming-era works of art.

Laozi on his ox and the beaming Sudhana are likely to have been favored subjects for Ming patronage because they evoked the chain of events which resulted in the triumph of the Ming Dynasty. The founder of the dynasty had started life as a Buddhist monk. He was named Zhu Yuanshang (1328-1398). In an incredible tale of courage and resourcefulness, Zhu Yuanshang joined a group of peasant rebels known as the Red Turbans and then formed his own resistance force which eventually drove the Mongols out of China. Defeating rival warlords, he took the title of Hongwu Emperor.

Despite his ecstatic expression, Sudhana is actually an isolated, lonely figure in the exhibit gallery. This somber atmosphere is matched by the historical record. In 1644, only three years after this statue - and its likely companions - had been completed, the Ming Dynasty collapsed.

History had repeated itself. A rebellion of peasants, impoverished and starving, overwhelmed the Ming government. Northern "barbarians" from Manchuria smashed the weakened frontier defenses and seized Beijing.

How could such a capable regime like the Ming Dynasty succumb to a revolt much like the one which had enabled them to seize power? The chain of disaster was long, but the primary cause was the impact of the Little Ice Age of the 1600s. A sequence of short, cold planting seasons and failed harvests undermined the Ming Dynasty.

Once the Manchu invaders had crushed or marginalized the last Ming loyalists, a depressing revival of Mongol tactics on China's culture ensued ... but its duration was not as long nor as destructive. 

Ed Voves, Photo (2025)

Qing Dynasty Ritual Artifacts. At left is a Ritual Bell, 1715;

 at right is a Ritual Vessel (xizun), created between 1736-95

Within a few years, the emperors of the Qing Dynasty, as the Manchurian ruling elite stylized themselves, were enthusiastically engaged in collecting and commissioning fugu works of art. Such was the irresistible power of China's traditional culture.

Recasting the Past: the Art of Chinese Bronzes thus concludes on a high note. In fact, the finale of this "only the Metropolitan Museum can do" exhibition is so fantastic that I spent almost as much time examining it, as I did the rest of the exhibited works of art.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025 )

 Gallery view of Recasting the Past: the Art of Chinese Bronzes, 

 showing Mahamayuri on Peacock, 1426-35

I was not alone. Many visitors to the exhibition halted in their tracks to gaze in wonder at Mahamayuri on Peacock. Dating from 1426 to 1435, the apogee of the Ming Dynasty renaissance, this astonishing talisman of Asian spirituality deserves a review just for itself. 

And so, we will cease our contemplation of these precious relics of old China. We close our review of this "once in a lifetime" exhibit at The Met with the promise to "return to the past" with a future Art Eyewitness review devoted to Mahamayuri on Peacock. 

***

Text: Copyright of Ed Voves, all rights reserved

Introductory Image: Statue of Sudhana (Shancai Tongz)(detail), 1641.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025) Tripod Incense Burner, Qing Dynasty, created 1736-95.  Cloisonne enamel, gilt copper alloy: H. 15 3/8 in. (39.1 cm) x W. 8 5/8 in. (21.9); Diam. of rim 8 in. (11.1 cm) Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025)  Ritual Ox Tripod (niuding) Northern Song Dynasty, 1114. Copper alloy: H. 19 11/16 in. (50 cm); W. 24 7/8 in. (63.2 cm); Diam. 20 3/4 in. (52. 7 cm); Wt. 75 lb. (34 kg) Lent by Hebei Provincial Museum

Wine pouring Vessel (Gong), Shang Dynasty, 13th-11th century B.C. Bronze: H. 8 ½ in. (21.6 cm. Metropolitan Museum of Art

Vase with Archiastic Design, Yuan Dynasty, 14th century.  Bronze: H. 15 1/2 in. (39.4 cm); Diam. 8 in. (20.3 cm); Diam. of rim 4 3/8 in. (11.1 cm); Diam. of foot 5 5/8 in. (14.3 cm) Purchase, Brooke Russell Astor Bequest, 20142014.449 Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ed Voves, Photo (2025)  Gallery view of Recasting the Past: the Art of Chinese Bronzes.  At left, Tripod Incense Burner, c. 1403-24. Gilt copper alloy: H. 25 7/8 in. (65.7) x W. 25 3/16 in. (64 cm) Diameter: 20 in. (50.8 cm.) Lent by Qinghai Provincial Museum.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025)  The Astor Chinese Garden Court at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Ming dynasty (1368–1644), 17th century style. Taihu rocks, granite terrace, ceramic tile flooring, roof tiles, and door frames, various woods (nan wood columns, pine beams, gingko latticework), brass fittings. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, The Vincent Astor Foundation Gift, 1981

Xie Huan, Elegant Gathering in the Apricot Garden, c. 1437. Handscroll; ink and color on silk: 14 ¾ in. x 95 ¾ in. ( 37.1 x 243.2 cm) Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ed Voves, Photo (2025) Gallery view of Recasting the Past: the Art of Chinese Bronzes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025) Ceremonial Bell with Imperial Procession, Landscape, and Mythical Creatures in Waves, Northern Song Dynasty, 12th century.) Copper alloy cast: H. 70 7/8 in. (180 cm), Diam. 32 in. (81.3 cm); Wt. 1554.2 lb. (705 kg) Lent by Liaoning Provincial Museum, Shenyang, China.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025)  Fugu artifacts, Yuan Dynasty era, 14th century. From left: Incense Burner in the Shape of a Lion; Brush Rest in the Shape of Twin Dragons; Tripod Vase; Paperweights in the Shape of Crabs. All objects are on loan from the Fujian Provincial Museum, China.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025)  Incense Burner in the Shape of a Goose, 14th century.Copper alloy: H. 26 3/8 in. (67 cm); W. 15 in. (38.1 cm); D. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm); Wt. 15.5 lb. (7 kg) Private collection on loan to the exhibition at The Met.

Rock Landscape with Rectangular Planter "Floating Bridge of Dreams". Yuan dynasty era, 14th century: 14th century Bronze, rock  Rock: H. 1 3/4 in. (4.4cm); L. 11 7/16 in. (29.1 cm)Planter: H. 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm); W. 4 5/16 in. (11 cm); L. 14 5/16 in.(36.4cm) Courtesy of Tokugawa Art Museum

Hu Wenming, Incense Burner with Flowers, Ming Dynasty, late 16th-17th century.  Copper alloy, parcel gilding, silver inlay: H. 3 ¼ in. (8.3 cm); Diam. of rim 4 in. (10.2 cm) Metroppolitan Museum of Art.

Ed Voves, Photo (2025) Laozi Riding an Ox, created by Xue Mingyang, Ming Dynasty, 1569 or 1629. Copper alloy, pigments:H. 18 in. (45.7 cm); W. 13 7/8 in. (35.2 cm); D. 5 1/2 in. (14 cm) Promised Gift of Julia and John Curtis, in celebration of the Metropolitan Museum’s 150th Anniversary

Ed Voves, Photo (2025) Statue of Sudhana (Shancai Tongz), 1641. Gilt copper alloy: H. 43 in. (109,2.7 cm); W. 21 in. (53.3 cm); D. 20  in. (50.8 cm) Art Properties, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University

Ed Voves, Photo (2025) Qing Dynasty Ritual Artifacts. Ritual Bell, 1715;  Ritual Vessel (xizun), created between 1736-95.  Bell: Gilt copper alloy: H. 12 ¾ in. (32.4 cm); W. 8 ¾ in. (22.2 cm) Metropolitan Museum Collection.  Vessel: Copper alloy: H. 15 3/16 in. (38.6 cm); Diam. 4 5/16 in. (11 cm); Wt. 36.4 lb (16.5 kg) Lent by The Palace Museum.

 Ed Voves, Photo (2025)  Gallery view of Recasting the Past: the Art of Chinese Bronzes, showing Mahamayuri on Peacock, 1426-35