Teabowl with “Hare’s-Fur” Glaze

Teabowl with “Hare’s-Fur” Glaze

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

First opened in the twelfth century as part of the expansion of the Japanese ceramic industry, the kilns at Seto, which were among the first to use glazes, often made bowls for the tea ceremony. The glaze on this piece, which resembles rabbit fur, was introduced by Buddhist monks who brought such ceramics home to Japan. There it is known as tenmoku, after the Japanese reading of Mount Tianmu, an important Buddhist center in China.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Teabowl with “Hare’s-Fur” GlazeTeabowl with “Hare’s-Fur” GlazeTeabowl with “Hare’s-Fur” GlazeTeabowl with “Hare’s-Fur” GlazeTeabowl with “Hare’s-Fur” Glaze

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.