Wine Bottle with Flowers and Grasses

Wine Bottle with Flowers and Grasses

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The flower pattern on this delicate bottle was painted with soft brushstrokes, resulting in a fluid appearance and pale coloring. The focus on an isolated motif from nature is characteristic of early Imari porcelain, a style that differed from Chinese porcelain, which would later have a profound effect on Japanese wares. This porcelain vessel would have been used as a wine bottle for sake, Japanese rice wine. It belongs to the category of early Imari, which is the first type of porcelain produced in Japan. Works considered early Imari were made from the 1610s to the 1660s. After this point, the style of Japanese porcelain changed drastically due to the stimulation of the industry by the Dutch East India Company, when it began to buy Japanese wares and export them to Europe.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Wine Bottle with Flowers and GrassesWine Bottle with Flowers and GrassesWine Bottle with Flowers and GrassesWine Bottle with Flowers and GrassesWine Bottle with Flowers and Grasses

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.