Sake Flask (pair)
Unknown Artist
1500s
Medium
Black laquered wood with red lacquer
Dimensions
h. 30.5 cm · diam. 24 cm
Classification
Lacquer
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1991.47
About this artwork
This flask contained rice wine, or sake. Its wood body was shaped by a lathe before black lacquer was applied to the surface. A red lacquer design of grapevines, an auspicious motif, covers the surface. With their numerous, long-lasting fruits, grapevines traditionally symbolized fertility and longevity in East Asia.