Moon flask with crane and fish motifs 1870

Christopher Dresser's "Moon flask with crane and fish motifs" (1870) is a stunning example of cloisonné, an ancient technique where metal wires are used to create compartments filled with enamel. This particular flask, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, features a bright turquoise background adorned with a swirling, blue river teeming with fish and cranes in flight. The delicate details of the design, highlighted by contrasting gold accents, reflect Dresser's fascination with Japanese aesthetics. The flask serves as a testament to the fusion of Western and Eastern artistic sensibilities in the late 19th century.