Gohon (Korean-Style) Tea Bowl with Cranes

Kiyomizu Rokubei I

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The design on this vessel can be traced back to the ubiquitous cranes of Goryeo celadon, which have been filtered here through an Edo-period Japanese sensibility. Rokubei's tea bowl is, in fact, a copy of a late seventeenth century Busan-kiln product (export ware made in Korea according to Japanese specifications), and the model he reprised was itself a nod to earlier prototypes (Goryeo period celadon and fifteenth- and sixteenth-century revivalist celadon exported to Japan). The Kyoto master affirmed his place in this prestigious lineage by literally leaving his mark: his seal is stamped near the base.

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