Sake vessel (Heishi)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ritual sake bottles, made in pairs, were used in Shinto shrines for offerings to the kami. Most of these sake vessels are Negoro lacquers associated with the Negoro-dera Temple in Wakayama Prefecture. Turned on a lathe in pieces and then assembled, each is set on an upright, splayed base and features a tapered body, rounded shoulders, and neck rising to a rounded lip. A black-lacquer underlayer shows through the red outer layer in random patches due to use.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art