A Large Tokkuri or Sake Flask: Elegant Form

late nineteenth, early twentieth century
11 1/4" x 3 1/2", 28.5 cm x 9 cm

This elegantly shaped bottle is a tokkuri or a traditional sake flask: its large size and its slightly flared body are beautifully proportioned to one another. The buff-colored glaze that covers the flask shows some beautiful imperfections. The base of the flask bears the imprint of the fingers of the person who dipped the vessel into glaze before firing.

The tokkuri is heavy in the hand. It may have been made for use at an inn or restaurant due to its size but what is nice about it is its slender form and the nicely detailed lip. It is said to be from Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

And yes, the visual reference to Giorgio Morandi on the photos here is wholly intentional.

A simply beautiful object in good, used condition.