Sake bottle in form of eggplant, with design of Mt. Fuji and seal "falcon"

Object Details

• Description

  Sake bottle in egg-plant form.

  Clay: dense, resonant, buff. Formed in mold.

  Glaze: rich mottled green over aubergine. Lead glaze. Three tiny spur marks on glazed base.

  Decoration: Mt. Fuji molded on side of bottle; "falcon", rectangular, molded as part of decoration on side of bottle; traces of gilding.

  Seal: Taka [JPN]

• Marks

  Taka [JPN]

• Provenance

  Mr. Funahashi, Kyoto [1]

  To 1903

  Bunkio Matsuki (1867-1940), Boston, to 1903 [2]

  From 1903 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Bunkio Matsuki in 1903 [3]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [4]

  Notes:

  [1] Curatorial Remarks, Louise A. Cort, 1986: Freer acquired, through Matsuki, five pieces from the Funahashi collection (F1903.275--F1903.279). An undated "List of Shipment" from Matsuki (Matsuki letter no. 30) gives the following: "Following five important pottery are from the sale of Late Mr. Funahashi of Kioto famous wholesale silk dealer for many generation. The sale was under the management of Mr. Shinsuke Hayashi from whom your great Sotatsu screen came."

  [2] See Original Pottery List, L. 1277, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

  [3] See note 2.

  [4] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Previous custodian or owner

  Funahashi

  Bunkio Matsuki 松木文恭 (1867-1940) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Kyoto, Kyoto prefecture, Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

  The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1700s, 1710s, 1720s, 1900s, 1770s, 1780s, 1790s, 1730s, 1740s, 1750s, 1760s, 1800s, 1810s, 1820s, 1830s, 1610s, 1650s, 1640s, 1630s, 1620s, 1690s, 1840s, 1680s, 1850s, 1670s, 1860s, 1660s

• Name

  Funahashi, Freer, Charles Lang, Matsuki, Bunkio

• Place

  Kyoto, Japan, Kyoto prefecture

• Topic

  Wine and wine making, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Stoneware, Kyoto ware, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, Ceramics, Sake

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)