A Chinese water dropper, also known as a Suite-ki, is a small, hollow container, often made of ceramic, used to precisely control the amount of water added to an inkstone when grinding ink. This controlled water addition is crucial for achieving the desired ink consistency for calligraphy and brush painting. This water dropper isn't just charming—it's an incredibly detailed rendering of a Javanese rhino, right down to the distinctive folds and horn. "P The lifelike precision suggests the artist may have studied a real rhino-possibly from an imperial menagerie! See it in "Recasting the Past: The Art of Chinese Bronzes, 1100-1900," an exhibition that rethinks centuries of bronze revival-not as imitation, but as a creative tradition in its own right. On view through September 28 at the Metropolitan Museum.

Water dropper in the form of a rhinoceros
China
Ming dynasty (1368-1644), 15th century.
Bronze

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#handmade #art #metropolitanmuseum