This is a very old bronze sake bottle, passed down from an old family in Nara. The wooden box is falling apart, but the item itself is in very good condition. I deciphered the cursive script written on the original box to investigate the age and maker. The bottle was made approximately 300 years ago (during the Shotoku era, from 1711 to 1716). The maker is Sho Koei, a metal caster? (If Sho Koei was not the maker but a collector of antiques, then this bottle would be even older than the Shotoku era). It will be shipped in its original box. Bronze is an alloy mainly composed of copper and tin, with high antibacterial properties and is resistant to rust. It also has high thermal conductivity, so why not use it as a pitcher to cool down barley tea or roasted tea boiled in a kettle? It can be used simply by washing (polishing) with baking soda. 〈Size〉 Please refer to the photos 16-17P. Capacity: 2.5ℓ when full Weight: 1,636g 1,632g Keywords: Sake bottle Wine pourer Water pourer Tea utensils Water pitcher Water server Water pitcher Kettle Teapot Barley tea Soup pot Noodle sauce container Tin Copper Bronze Bronze Tinware Copperware Barley tea cooling pot Oolong tea cooling pot Green tea cooling pot bronze bronzo bronce