One from set of five squared food vessels (mukōzuke) for tea-gathering meal
Unknown Artist
early 17th century
Medium
Stoneware with iron-oxide and copper green overglaze decoration (Mino ware, Yashichida Oribe type)
Dimensions
H. 3 7/8 in. (9.8 cm); W. 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
Japan · Momoyama (1573–1615) or Edo (1615–1868) period
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation Gift, 1973
Accession Number
1973.80.3
Art Historical Context
This delightful squared food vessel, known as a *mukōzuke*, is one of a set of five crafted in early 17th-century Japan during the transition from the vibrant Momoyama period (1573–1615) to the Edo era (1615–1868). Measuring just under 4 inches tall and 3 inches wide, it as a modest dish for side servings like sashimi or pickled vegetables during intimate tea gatherings (*chanoyu*). These ceremonies emphasized wabi-sabi aesthetics—embracing imperfection, rusticity, and transience—making everyday ceramics like this a perfect complement to matcha rituals. Made from Mino stoneware, a hallmark of...