Freshwater Jar (Mizusashi)

Makuzu Kōzan I (Miyagawa Toranosuke) Japanese

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 199

A star of the Moore ceramic collection, this freshwater jar features a whimsical composition with a procession of grasshoppers and a few wasps. The grasshoppers, carrying flowers as weapons or insignia, accompany an insect cage that echoes the palanquin of a high-ranking lady in a wedding procession or feudal lord’s procession. Inspired by paintings of the same subject, the theme must have appealed to Moore, who gravitated to anthropomorphic insects and animals. The Makuzu workshop exhibited a wide range of ceramics at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition of 1876.

Freshwater Jar (Mizusashi), Makuzu Kōzan I (Miyagawa Toranosuke) (Japanese, 1842–1916), Stoneware with polychrome overglaze enamels and gold, wood lid, ivory knob (Makuzu ware), Japan

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.