染付養老瀧山水孝子文酒入|Wine Bottle with Landscape and Waterfall
Unknown Artist
late 18th–early 19th century
Medium
Porcelain with underglaze blue decoration (Hirado ware)
Dimensions
H. 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm); W. 3 7/8 in. (9.8 cm); D. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. V. Everit Macy, 1923
Accession Number
23.225.65a, b
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite wine bottle, or *sake-ire*, from Japan's Edo period (late 18th–early 19th century) showcases the refined artistry of Hirado ware, a prestigious porcelain produced on Hirado Island in Nagasaki. Crafted from fine white porcelain with intricate underglaze blue decoration technique where cobalt pigment is applied beneath the glaze before firing—the bottle stands just 6¼ inches tall. Its surface captures a cascading waterfall amid a misty landscape of trees and rocks, evoking the famous Yoro Falls, with motifs of filial piety adding a moral dimension to the natural scene. Hirado war...