Minneapolis Institute of Art

Ewer for hot water with wisteria

Japan

Date

late 16th–early 17th century

Medium

Black lacquer with traces of red lacquer and silver and gold maki-e

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

In the late 16th century, the nobility began to add elegant hot-water ewers like this to their tableware. Later, such a ewer might have been used for the light meals that precedes chanoyu, the ceremonial preparation of powdered green tea. On the hardened black lacquer ground, wisteria was painted with red lacquer and before that became hard, silver and gold powders were dusted over the drawings. The powders blended, producing a subtle tonal contrast. Japan, Asia

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