Large Sake Bottle

Although the sophisticated form and almost abstract decoration of this sake bottle suggest it was made before the mid-nineteenth century, the kiln where it was fired has yet to be identified. Many local ceramic makers who were active throughout Japan at the end of the Edo period ceased to produce during the Meiji period (1868-1912). Today, it is difficult to track down the origin of such ceramics. In some cases, samples can only be found in Western museums.