The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 19, 2025

Sake Cups with Dragons

1893–1914

Seifū Yohei III

(Japanese, 1851–1914)
Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912)
Set of six sake cups; porcelain with underglaze blue and iron oxide rims
height (each): 5 cm (1 15/16 in.); diameter (each): 4.5 cm (1 3/4 in.)
Gift of James and Christine Heusinger 2022.239
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Seifū Yohei III was inspired by the Chinese mythical animals that were common on porcelain objects made at Jingdezhen in China during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and then exported around the world.

Description

Each of these sake cups pictures two backward-looking dragons. The highly stylized creatures resemble jade carvings.
  • ?–2022
    James and Christine Heusinger, Berea, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2022–
    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. 97, p. 187
  • {{cite web|title=Sake Cups with Dragons|url=false|author=Seifū Yohei III|year=1893–1914|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2022.239