Important Cultural Property
Total height: 19.4 cm, height: 8.7 cm, diameter: 13.2 cm, sides: 22.5 cm
The shape of this sake bottle, with its wide mouth covered by a drop-lid, taut arched handle, and round bottom with legs on three sides, is clearly modeled after a so-called “heating pot” made of iron. Of the three choshi of approximately the same shape that are known to exist, this is the most vivid example in terms of both shape and design. The back of the handle is decorated with chrysanthemum arabesque in underglaze blue, and the outer surface of both the lid and body are roughly decorated with a dynamic design of five lions and peony arabesque. The lions are painted in green and indigo, and red is used only for the flowers and buds of the peonies. In order to hide a flaw in the center of the bottom, a leaf pattern has been applied in dark blue overglaze painting.
The mouth of the vessel, which has had the lid removed, is covered directly with yellow glaze on the unglazed surface, which may have been done to hide the base of the vessel. This is an example of a work that is meticulously considered while being roughly made, and is a perfect example of the kind of work that can be found in the following
