Screen Panel with Lions, Birds, and Flowers, Ming dynasty (1368–1644), late 16th–early 17th century. Silk and metal thread tapestry (kesi), 200.7 x 162.6 cm. Gift of Amy Greene, 1969 (69.246) © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Two Chinese lions playfully circle a brocade ball in the central roundel of this panel, surrounded by a field of birds in flight and various flowers on a scrolling vine. Each corner's quarter medallion contains a phoenix roundel, and the border features clouds and cranes. The dual orientation of the panel vertically—either short side could serve as the top—lends support to the suggestion the cloth once found use as the cover for a large piece of furniture such as a daybed, or kang.