The pavilion which takes its name form a nearby pool is part
of Astor Court, a Ming-Dynasty garden court set in the midst of
galleries devoted to Chinese paintings. The model for the
Astor Court is a small courtyard in The Garden of the Master
of the Fishing Nets in Suzhou, a city west of Shanghai that
experienced a flourishing garden culture during the Ming period.
The exuberant upsweep of the roof corners is characteristic of
Chinese architecture in the south.


From: Metropolitan of Art.