From “The Astor Chinese Garden Court | In Focus” by The Met
The Astor Chinese Garden Court at The Met
Step through the moon gate into a Ming garden inside New York.
Key points
- The Astor Court was built to display a group of 16th to 18th century Suzhou furniture that the Met acquired in 1974 with the help of trustee Brooke Russell Astor. 0:55
- The courtyard idea came from Wen Fong, head of Asian Art, and became workable only after a young curatorial assistant found a skylight in the rafters, which then won Mrs. Astor's agreement. 1:08
- Chinese garden court workers from Suzhou assembled the court over five months starting in early 1980, using mortise-and-tenon joints rather than nails and Ming dynasty techniques. 1:45
- The pillars are made of nanmu, a wood so rare in China that the Met needed a special dispensation to use it, and the ceramic tiles were made by reopening an 18th-century imperial kiln. 2:00
- The rocks are meant to evoke grottoes, which were seen in China as mystical portals to other worlds, and the half pavilion beside them is named lěngquán tíng, the pavilion of the cold water spring. 2:44
In order
- 1. Entering another universe — The narrator describes walking through the moon gate into a Suzhou-style Ming garden inside New York. 0:05
- 2. A garden designed like a scroll — The Astor Court is introduced as the first Chinese garden built outside China, with a covered corridor framing a vista of mountains and clouds. 0:22
- 3. Acquiring furniture and building the court — Brooke Russell Astor's support, Wen Fong's courtyard idea and the shipped Suzhou materials lead to the court's construction in 1979–1980. 0:55
- 4. Materials and craft — Mortise-and-tenon joinery without nails, nanmu pillars and tiles fired in a reopened imperial kiln are described. 1:45
- 5. Rocks as portals — Eroded garden rocks, valued for centuries as mystical portals, are explained, including one that resembles Snoopy. 2:30
- 6. The half pavilion and cold spring — The lěngquán tíng half pavilion is described as a link between nature and the human world, surrounded by galleries of Asian culture. 3:24
The argument, point by point
- Entering another universe — The narrator describes walking through the moon gate into a Suzhou-style Ming garden inside New York. 0:05
- A garden designed like a scroll — The Astor Court is introduced as the first Chinese garden built outside China, with a covered corridor framing a vista of mountains and clouds. 0:22
- Acquiring furniture and building the court — Brooke Russell Astor's support, Wen Fong's courtyard idea and the shipped Suzhou materials lead to the court's construction in 1979–1980. 0:55
- Materials and craft — Mortise-and-tenon joinery without nails, nanmu pillars and tiles fired in a reopened imperial kiln are described. 1:45
- Rocks as portals — Eroded garden rocks, valued for centuries as mystical portals, are explained, including one that resembles Snoopy. 2:30
- The half pavilion and cold spring — The lěngquán tíng half pavilion is described as a link between nature and the human world, surrounded by galleries of Asian culture. 3:24
Things to notice in the frames
- Perforated garden rock — A grey eroded rock with holes stands in front of a white lattice screen.
- Wooden lattice doors — Carved dark wood lattice panels line the pavilion behind the wooden columns.
- Hanging lantern — A square lantern hangs beneath the timber eaves of the covered gallery.