One from set of five squared food vessels (mukōzuke) for tea-gathering meal

One from set of five squared food vessels (mukōzuke) for tea-gathering meal

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

These unique vessels (1973.80.1–5,) used to serve kaiseki meal prior to the whipped green tea, were inspired by imported wine glasses. They were formed on the wheel and then molded into four-sided shapes before being decorated with V-like motifs, fern scrolls, crosshatching, and plum blossoms against a white slip ground. The glaze drips and variations of the motifs reveal an appreciation of spontaneity.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

One from set of five squared food vessels (mukōzuke) for tea-gathering mealOne from set of five squared food vessels (mukōzuke) for tea-gathering mealOne from set of five squared food vessels (mukōzuke) for tea-gathering mealOne from set of five squared food vessels (mukōzuke) for tea-gathering mealOne from set of five squared food vessels (mukōzuke) for tea-gathering meal

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.