The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 14, 2025
Water Container with Shell and Seaweed
1914–46
(Japanese, 1872–1951)
Gift of James and Christine Heusinger 2022.212.a
Location: Not on view
Did You Know?
A mizusashi, water container, is an essential utensil for a tea ceremony.Description
Yohei IV chose an aquatic theme for this mizusashi. He applied clay to the surface and molded the shape of a large conch on one side and, on the other, a clam and a scallop. The finer details he incised into the surface of his low-relief shapes. He then painted seaweed as though it were coming out from behind the sea creatures, and he further set off the animals using a masking technique with a gradated blue surround. Finally, he applied a translucent blue glaze, identified on the box as mizusai, over the entire body of the vessel. The resulting effect is that one imagines having descended through the water to the ocean floor.- ?–2022James and Christine Heusinger, Berea, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art2022–The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Maezaki, Shinya and Sinéad Vilbar. Colors of Kyoto: The Seifū Yohei Ceramic Studio. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2023. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 69, pp. 160–161
- {{cite web|title=Water Container with Shell and Seaweed|url=false|author=Seifū Yohei IV|year=1914–46|access-date=14 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2022.212.a