Karamono-Style Flower Basket (Hanakago)

Wada Waichisai I

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Wada Waichisai I is known for his meticulous techniques. Following in the footsteps of his father, he began by producing simple baskets for carrying fruits and vegetables, but later made sencha-related Chinese-style (karamono) baskets and tea-ceremony utensils that came to be in high demand among literati circles. The body of this double-walled ikebana flower basket is made of split timber bamboo; the outside layer is executed in tight “pine-needle” plaiting (matsuba-ami) and the inside is twill plaiting (ajiro-ami).

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