Flower Holder (Hanaire) in the Shape of a Water Rail Flute

Shōno Shōunsai Japanese

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 228

This flower holder resembles the type of bamboo flute played in Japan to attract the water rail, a bird. The piece was inspired by the wall vases (ichijū-giri) pioneered in the sixteenth century in connection with wabi-cha tea gatherings.

Flower Holder (Hanaire) in the Shape of a Water Rail Flute, Shōno Shōunsai (Japanese, 1904–1970), Timber bamboo, Japan

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Flower Holder (Hanaire) in the Shape of a Water Rail Flute, Shōno Shōunsai (Japanese, 1904–1970), Timber bamboo, Japan
Flower Holder (Hanaire) in the Shape of a Water Rail Flute, Shōno Shōunsai (Japanese, 1904–1970), Timber bamboo, Japan

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