18th C. Japanese Sake Bottle Mishima Karatsu Ware Celadon Glazed Pottery Antique Wabi Sabi Bottleneck Vase

Details

Description

A rare and beautiful nearly 300 year old Japanese pottery Mishima Karatsu (三島唐津) sake bottle tokkuri (徳利) circa 1750

Japan, … Read more A rare and beautiful nearly 300 year old Japanese pottery Mishima Karatsu (三島唐津) sake bottle tokkuri (徳利) circa 1750

Japan, Edo period (1603-1868), Saga prefecture, Karatsu kilns, Mishima type, bottle (flask/decanter) used to serve and store sake, with concentric ring striped pattern, stoneware with white slip brushed under clear glaze.

Finely handmade by a skilled artisan in the 18th century, most likely a Korean immigrant, the region Karatsu ware is made has a clay high in iron, giving a earthy, simple, and natural aesthetic. Warm mutted pale green and cream white with earthy iron-brown undertones and desirable craquelure. Elegant long bottleneck vase form, the antique vessel having a tapering bulbous body with narrow elongated neck and broad rolled rim.

A wonderful blend of sophisticated refinement, minimalist design, and traditional Japanese wabi-sabi aesthetic, with a perfectly imperfect ethos, it values simplicity, character, and the charming beauty of flaws.

Yet to create the ringed motif, a fairly complex, skilled, time intensive process, the potter would take the added steps of carefully engraving the design into the body. Next, the delicate hand carved engravings would be filled with contrasting colored clay (or slip). Finally, the bottle is then covered with a transparent glaze.

The bottle's warm earthy appearance, soft muted tones, deep lustrous sheen, and subtle imperfections create a sense of harmony, understated rustic elegance and simplicity. A timeless work of art, sure to add a touch of cozy warmth, graceful tranquility, and minimalistic style, as well as rich cultural interest and historical depth to any space!

Dimensions (approx)
12" Tall x 6.25" Diameter
(30.5 x 15.9 cm)

Condition Report:
A superb museum quality example, in excellent original antique condition, with beautifully aged patina. Original scars, mars, tonal variations, skips and crazing inherent to glaze See less