Ewer for hot water

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This ewer epitomizes the spare elegance of life in the Chan/Zen monastery. After eating the humble meal of rice and vegetables, monks would rinse their bowls with hot water and drink the broth to avoid wasting even a single morsel. This ewer was held by a kitchen monk as he filled the bowls of his seated colleagues. The object itself was designed to valorize the daily labor of monastic life—where it was handled, the red lacquer abraded to reveal the layer of black beneath, transmuting work into beauty. This was in keeping with Zen philosophy, in which the simplest task may lead to enlightenment.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art