Single-cut (Ichijūgiri) Flower Container, “Yoshinoyama” (Mount Yoshino)

17th century

Not on view

This rustic-looking flower container, cut from timber bamboo, is the earliest dated piece in the Abbey Collection. Its maker, Sōtan, was a grandson of the revered Sen no Rikyū (1522–1591), one of the Momoyama period’s groundbreaking masters of the tea ceremony. The container’s "ichijūgiri” form—a vase with the opening on one side to enable it to be hung on a wall or post—is well suited to flower arrangements displayed for the tea ceremony, often next to or within the tokonoma alcove of a tea room. The texture and color tones of the bamboo medium remain in their natural state, and the form reflects the wabi-cha aesthetics, the style of tea ceremony associated with Sen no Rikyū, emphasizing simplicity, the use of local wares, and an absence of elaborately ornamented Chinese vessels.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

千宗旦「吉野山」一重切花入
Title: Single-cut (Ichijūgiri) Flower Container, “Yoshinoyama” (Mount Yoshino)
Artist: Sen Sōtan (Japanese, 1578–1658)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: 17th century
Culture: Japan
Medium: Timber bamboo
Dimensions: H. 11 7/16 in. (29 cm)
Classification: Bamboo
Credit Line: Gift of Diane Abbey, 2019
Object Number: 2019.425.32
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

By Sen Sōtan

In the same medium

From the same time and place

Three Eggplants and a Poem, Sen Sōtan Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan — Three Eggplants and a Poem
Sen Sōtan
first half 17th century

Helmet (<i>Zukinnari Kabuto</i>), Iron, lacquer, Japanese — Helmet (*Zukinnari Kabuto*)
Japanese
16th century

Flower Basket (Hanakago), Timber bamboo and rattan, Japan — Flower Basket (Hanakago)
Japan
second half of the 19th century

Letter of Acceptance, Sen Sōtan Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan — Letter of Acceptance
Sen Sōtan
first half 17th century

Armor (<i>Gusoku</i>), Saotome Ietada Japanese, Iron, lacquer, silk, gilt copper, Japanese — Armor (*Gusoku*)
Armorer Helmet bowl signed Saotome Ietada
Armorer Breastplate inscribed inside, Myōchin Munesuke
16th and 18th centuries

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.