Cleveland Museum of Art

Tea Whisk-Shaped Sake Bottle

Date

1660s–early 1670s

Medium

Porcelain with overglaze enamel (Hizen ware, early iro-e)

Culture

Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

Department

Japanese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This sake bottle resembles a whisk used in preparing powdered green tea, with the handle at the top and the body of the brush flaring out below. Its bold design is anchored by images of chrysanthemums and pomegranates set in panels against a ground of red hatching with tricolored clouds. Additional patterns of swirls, stripes, flowers, and other forms make the piece dazzling. This bottle is for sake, or fermented rice wine, Japan's most famous variety of local alcohol.

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