Large Sake Bottle

Edo period, 17th century
Oribe ware, Shino-Oribe type, underglaze and overglaze enamel
Height, 20.8cm; mouth diameter, 9.7cm;
torso diameter, 21.6cm; base diameter, 13.5cm

The shoulder is circled with 5 indented lines in a 2-1-2 pattern, and there is a carved, wheel-turned decoration between the bottom double-indented line and the base. Underglaze iron was used to create an underglaze pattern, and with the exception of the bottom of the foot, the entire jar has been coated in feldspathic glaze. There is absolutely no use of the commonly-seen Oribe copper-green glaze. Given the degree to which the feldspathic glaze dissolved, this jar appears to have been fired in a climbing kiln with connected chambers. This is an example of what is known as Shino-Oribe ware. The torso is sharply swollen, and the base is large, forming the tokkuri shape known as funatokkuri for its use on ships. The box inscription noted in black ink on the exterior of the box lid states "Oribe, okihanaike," or Oribe ware resting flower vase. Thus, it would appear that at some time in its history the jar was used as a flower vase.

It is hard to find comparative examples of this large tokkuri form in Momoyama period ceramics, and it can be considered part of the group known as Yashichida Oribe, the last Oribe ware group. However, the feldspathic glaze differs somewhat from the slightly yellowish-tinged feldspathic glaze seen on Yashichida Oribe, and thus this work might have been created a bit after that period. The base of the jar has been inscribed in black ink with the Japanese kana characters "i-ro," but the meaning of this inscription is unclear. YO