Large Japanese Arita Sake Bottle, Edo Period (item #533476)

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Large Japanese Arita Sake Bottle, Edo Period

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All Items: Archives:Regional Art:Asian:Japanese: Pre 1837 VR: item # 533476

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Large Japanese Arita Sake Bottle, Edo Period

This handsome early Japanese ko Imari sometsuke (blue and white porcelain) tokkuri (sake bottle) in bulbous form with elongated neck was hand painted in underglaze cobalt blue with tako-karakusa (octopus vine) scrolls between a plain everted rim and a band of rectangular “jurinmon” lappets. Late 18th/early 19th century. The glazed base is recessed, and the high foot rim is unglazed and encircled by two blue lines. Displaying a boldness of design, the tako-karakusa pattern is of purely Japanese origin. The branched curls of the 17th and 18th century tako-karakusa were derived from the curls among the leaves of the early lotus scrolls, which were later changed to include more short “octopus pads” as the gyres became closer. In the early 19th century they had changed to short lines, even on high quality pieces. (See examples in “The Lost Century: Japanese Arita Porcelain 1720-1820 in Britain: Selective Catalog” by noted authority Irene Finch.)

The karakusa design is one of many scrolling vine patterns used to decorate Arita and Imari wares, and blue and white sometsuke porcelains with the takokarakusa design are examples of wares made for the domestic Japanese market. Arita is a town on the island of Kyushu which has been a center of Japanese porcelain production since the seventeenth century. With Arita blue and whites, the blue is produced from a cobalt or indigo pigment and is painted straight onto the biscuit, after which the piece is glazed and fired. Ceramics for everyday use were made at the same kilns that were producing highly ornate, purely decorative wares primarily for export. These humble storage bottles often have a greater appeal than export ware because they show a highly developed sense for matching materials, form and function with simple beauty. Overall condition is very good, considering age and usage. Minor glaze imperfections. There is an old chip on the rim and another on the foot, which is not uncommon on antique sake bottles considering their utilitarian nature. There is no other damage nor restoration. Dimensions: 12 ½” (31.8 cm) high, 7 ½” (19 cm) diameter.