Sake bottle with pine, bamboo and plum

Art Historical Context

Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian collection, this elegant sake bottle from mid-17th-century Japan exemplifies the refined ceramics of the Edo period (1615–1868). Crafted in stoneware known as Mizoro ware, stands at 11 7/16 inches tall its sturdy form ideal for storing and serving sake during social gatherings. The bottle's surface features incised or painted motifs of pine, bamboo, and plum—the celebrated "Three Friends of Winter" in East Asian tradition—evoking resilience and harmony amid adversity. Mizoro ware, produced at regional kilns, highlights the Edo era's ceramic in...