Pair of Sake Caskets

Pair of Sake Caskets

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Red lacquer utensils were produced in Japan as early as the Heian period (794–1185). During the subsequent Kamakura period (1185–1333), Buddhist monks at the Negoro-ji temple in present-day Wakayama Prefecture began producing furnishings covered in red lacquer layered over black lacquer. Wares made using lacquer in this manner later became known as Negoro wares. This pair of sake casks could be suspended by cords from the two rings at the top and easily transported. Such casks were often used as congratulatory gifts. The earliest surviving examples date to the early sixteenth century.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Pair of Sake CasketsPair of Sake CasketsPair of Sake CasketsPair of Sake CasketsPair of Sake Caskets

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.