Ritual Bowl

1716

Not on view

The mendicant's bowl is one of eighteen possessions permitted to followers of the Buddha who seek detachment from worldly desires.One as finely crafted and decorated as this was probably used only for ritual offerings on an altar. Its thin, gracefully rounded shape and lively repoussé dragon with finely chased scales represent highly developed skills of metal hammering. The Myōchin line of metalworkers specialized in producing swords and elaborate sword fittings for twenty-two generations, from the thirteenth to the mid-eighteenth century.

Artwork Details

Title: Ritual Bowl
Artist: Myōchin Munesuke (Japanese, 1688–1735)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: 1716
Culture: Japan
Medium: Hammered iron with gold leaf on interior
Dimensions: H. 5 3/8 in. (13.7 cm); Diam. 9 in. (22.9 cm)
Classification: Metalwork
Credit Line: The Howard Mansfield Collection, Gift of Howard Mansfield, 1936
Object Number: 36.120.664
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

By Myōchin Munesuke

From the same time and place

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Mask (Sōmen) in the Shape of a Grimacing Man, Myōchin Munesuke Japanese, Iron, lacquer, gold, Japanese — Mask (Sōmen) in the Shape of a Grimacing Man
Myōchin Munesuke
early 18th century

Armor (<i>Gusoku</i>), Myōchin Munesuke Japanese, Iron, lacquer, silk, copper, gold, Japanese — Armor (*Gusoku*)
Myōchin Munesuke
early 18th century

Okimono in the Form of a Raven, Myōchin Munesuke Japanese, Steel, Japanese — Okimono in the Form of a Raven
Myōchin Munesuke
early 18th century

Robe (Kosode) with Shells and Sea Grasses
, Embroidery and gold leaf on plain-weave silk patterned with warp floats, Japan — Robe (Kosode) with Shells and Sea Grasses
Japan
early 17th century

Rough Waves, Ogata Kōrin Japanese, Two-panel folding screen; ink, color, and gold leaf on paper, Japan — Rough Waves
Ogata Kōrin
ca. 1704–9

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