Ash Glazed Sake Bottle, Ko-seto ware

The size of this old Seto ware ('ko-seto') bottle, which can be used as a tokuri, is most pleasing to the eye.

It is firm and stable even when pouring sake with one hand.
The capacity is approximately 250 ml and there is no leakage.

The mouth rim is in the shape of what is commonly known as a 'tobikuchi jar', with a one-sided spout.

The thicker mouth is characteristic of ko-seto, but it is conveniently shaped to prevent sake from dripping..!

Koseto was produced for about 300 years from the Kamakura to Muromachi periods. Powerful temples in Kamakura and the Tokai region, where the shogunate was established, demanded domestically produced pottery as an alternative to Chinese ceramics.

The Seto kilns, which were blessed with high-quality clay, were responsible for this demand and produced roof tiles, Buddhist altarware and warehouse bone implements.

Around the 13th century, the period of production of this work, most of the pieces were transported to Kamakura, where the shogunate was located, and were used as high-grade glazed ceramics.

The ash glaze running throughout the vessel is an ideal fresh light green.

The glassy pools of glaze are finely pierced, giving it a deep green colour. (It is difficult to describe the transparency in a photograph...!)

The combination of the white colour change in some places and the cracks in the kiln, which is unique to Koseto, gives a view that combines elegance with a wild taste.

The three-stripe pattern engraved on the shoulder is also a highlight.

Among the few tobiguchi jars and pots found in excavated objects from the early Ko-seto period, there are surprisingly few in the shape of a tokuri (a small sake bottle with a small handle and a small handle).

A similar type of vessel produced in the Early Ko-seto period is the ewers, but most of them have handles and spouts copied from Chinese ceramics.

The graceful curves of this piece, from the bulging body to the tatami mats, give it an elegant form as if it were a smaller Ko-seto vase.

Ko-seto pottery is popular among flower vase lovers for its floral beauty.

It is easy to use not only as a sake vessel but also as a flower vase and can be enjoyed in a wide range of ways.

As mentioned above, there are no kiln cracks or leaks from the bottom, so water should be used directly in the vessel.