Important Cultural Property
Sake Bottle with a design of flowers and grasse
Data
| Artist | Imari ware |
|---|---|
| Period | Edo period, 17th century |
| Materials and techniques | Porcelain with underglaze blue |
| Size | H.32.0 MD.5.3 D.17.8 BD.10.6 |
Explanation
Porcelain was fired successfully for the first time in Japan in the early 17th century in Arita of Saga prefecture. These products however came to be known as Imari ware as they were shipped to other parts of Japan as well as to foreign countries from the port of Imari. This is an early Imari sometsuke (blue and white) bottle produced in Arita. Its body, which swells slightly toward the base, is divided into eight zones by vertical lines running down the sides and is decorated with freely painted motifs including flowers and grasses, chrysanthemums, a plum tree, and ivy vines. The bottle is a fine example displaying the simplicity and rusticity typical of early Imari ware.