Collection Online as of December 7, 2023
Tea Whisk-Shaped Sake Bottle
茶筅形徳利
Japan, Edo period
(1615-1868)
Porcelain with overglaze enamel (Hizen ware, early iro-e)
Height: 25.4 cm (10 in.); Diameter: 14.7 cm (5 13/16 in.)
Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2014.391
Location
not on view
Fun Fact
This bottle is for sake, or fermented rice wine, Japan's most famous variety of local alcohol.
Description
This sake bottle resembles a whisk used in preparing powdered green tea, with the handle at the top and the body of the brush flaring out below. Its bold design is anchored by images of chrysanthemums and pomegranates set in panels against a ground of red hatching with tri-colored clouds. Additional patterns of swirls, stripes, flowers, and other forms make the piece eye-popping.