Set of Five Camellia-Shaped Side Dishes (Mukōzuke) with Camellia Patterns

Set of Five Camellia-Shaped Side Dishes (Mukōzuke) with Camellia Patterns

Ogata Kenzan

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

These vividly colored small side dishes (mukōzuke) were created to enhance the beauty of the food served in them. The entire surface of each vessel was coated in white slip, covered in transparent glaze, and fired. Stencil paper in the shape of camellia flowers was then laid on the surface of each dish to keep the blossoms white while green enamel was brushed on. This application technique derived from stencil dyeing used in textile art.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Set of Five Camellia-Shaped Side Dishes (Mukōzuke) with Camellia PatternsSet of Five Camellia-Shaped Side Dishes (Mukōzuke) with Camellia PatternsSet of Five Camellia-Shaped Side Dishes (Mukōzuke) with Camellia PatternsSet of Five Camellia-Shaped Side Dishes (Mukōzuke) with Camellia PatternsSet of Five Camellia-Shaped Side Dishes (Mukōzuke) with Camellia Patterns

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.