Widemouthed jar (kame) with wave pattern

Widemouthed jar (kame) with wave pattern

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A delicately incised, repeating wave pattern graces the shoulder of this widemouthed, unglazed vessel. The placement of the vessel in the wood-burning kiln, combined with the potter’s control of the fire, airflow, and ash caused “kiln transformations” (kamahen) such as the dark reddish patches on the body and lip. Variations in surface color are the result of haphazard contact with wood ash.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Widemouthed jar (kame) with wave patternWidemouthed jar (kame) with wave patternWidemouthed jar (kame) with wave patternWidemouthed jar (kame) with wave patternWidemouthed jar (kame) with wave pattern

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.