Sake Vessel (Heishi) with Butterflies

Sake Vessel (Heishi) with Butterflies

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ritual sake bottles, made in pairs, were used in Shinto shrines to offer sake to the deities. Most of these sake vessels are Negoro lacquers. This heishi is black lacquer with butterflies painted in red lacquer. The pattern suggests that the sake vessel might have been used in a Bugaku music and dance performance, where butterflies are common motifs.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sake Vessel (Heishi) with ButterfliesSake Vessel (Heishi) with ButterfliesSake Vessel (Heishi) with ButterfliesSake Vessel (Heishi) with ButterfliesSake Vessel (Heishi) with Butterflies

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.