Sake Cup 1834 - 1866

Curator: It feels like sunset, doesn't it? All that glowing red, like everything's being burnished by the end of the day. Editor: Indeed. This is a ceramic Sake Cup, made in Japan sometime between 1834 and 1866. It's currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Curator: A Sake Cup...makes sense with that sunset glow. It looks like you could hold a whole landscape in the palm of your hand. Miniature, portable meditation. Editor: Absolutely. It really brings that traditional Japanese style forward, the famous ukiyo-e tradition we can trace through the choice of landscape in a non-traditional, or practical, work of art. Here it presents not only the scene but also invites reflection upon how landscape aesthetics intersect with national and personal identity. Curator: The artist, Shomosai, chose this red-hot colour for the backdrop and then that gold—it's just stunning—making these craggy peaks and that impressive waterfall shimmer. It feels a little performative. A way for a sake drinker to make themselves a kind of refined spectacle. Editor: Yes, this work sits within a broader context. Considering our earlier thoughts on ukiyo-e, we can consider orientalism, particularly a Western interpretation of Asian art, even on objects like these. What would have this looked like for individuals at the time, from different genders or societal backgrounds? It speaks volumes about identity in relationship to place and tradition. Curator: Thinking about that...makes me wonder what kind of sake they would’ve drunk from it! The craftsmanship definitely inspires curiosity and really is beautiful to behold. Editor: Agreed, a fantastic intersection between the cultural value, material construction, and creative execution on this object.