Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Japan, Room 45, The Toshiba Gallery

Sake Bottle

ca.1700-1750 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Sake bottle of wood covered in roiro (black lacquer polished to a deep gloss), pear-shaped bottle rising from a flat base, swelling upwards and outwards to form a rounded belly, then tapering inwards and upwards, culminating in a short neck before splaying outwards slightly at the top opening into which fits a flat-topped stopper surmounted by a small knob, with an all-over design of chrysanthemum stems with flowers and leaves, in gold, slver and red hiramaki-e (metal powder sprinkled on to a lacquer design before it has hardened so that it is in low relief). The interior of the bottle is in red lacquer and the knob of the stopper in gold lacquer.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Bottle
  • Stopper
Materials and techniques
Wood covered in <i>roiro</i> (black lacquer polished to a deep gloss) with gold, silver and red hiramaki-e (metal powder sprinkled on to a lacquer design before it has hardened so that it is in low relief)
Brief description
Sake bottle and stopper, wood covered in black lacquer with gold, silver and red lacquer, chrysanthemum stems with flowers and leaves, Japan, ca. 1700-1750
Physical description
Sake bottle of wood covered in roiro (black lacquer polished to a deep gloss), pear-shaped bottle rising from a flat base, swelling upwards and outwards to form a rounded belly, then tapering inwards and upwards, culminating in a short neck before splaying outwards slightly at the top opening into which fits a flat-topped stopper surmounted by a small knob, with an all-over design of chrysanthemum stems with flowers and leaves, in gold, slver and red hiramaki-e (metal powder sprinkled on to a lacquer design before it has hardened so that it is in low relief). The interior of the bottle is in red lacquer and the knob of the stopper in gold lacquer.
Dimensions
  • Height: 8in (Note: Measurements taken from registers and converted from inches)
  • At widest point diameter: 4in
Content description
Flowering chrysanthemum stems withleaves
Style
Gallery label
Pair of bottles for sake Wood covered in black lacquer with gold, silver and red hiramaki-e lacquer Chrysanthemums About 1700 W.111 & 112-1921 Sutherland Gift
Credit line
Given by Sutherland
Object history
Strange V&A catalogue no. 620
Subject depicted
Associated object
W.112-1921 (Pair)
Collection
Accession number
W.111-1921

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Record createdMay 8, 2000
Record URL
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