Cluster of mountain tea bowls (yama-chawan)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mountain tea bowls (yama-chawan) are simple, unglazed tablewares from the late Heian (794–1185) through the Muromachi (1392–1573) periods that were produced mainly in Aichi and Gifu Prefectures. The bowls were stacked in tall piles for firing—during which a natural ash glaze was formed—and occasionally fused together in the kiln as here. This accidental cluster was discarded at the time, but to a modern eye is almost sculptural in aesthetic.

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