This is a sometsuke (blue and white) tokkuri (sake bottle) from Aizu Hongo-yaki. It appears to be painted with a landscape design, a powerful design characteristic of Aizu. The mouth of the bottle has a chip of about 5mm. There are also scratches and wear and tear due to age, kiln marks (including nyu, or cracks), which seem to be from the firing process, and a slight tilt, as can be seen in the images. Please examine all the images to assess the damage. If you have any questions, please ask in the comments before purchasing. Please refrain from purchasing if you are looking for a perfect item or are overly concerned about minor imperfections, as there are some flaws. Only those who understand and appreciate old items are welcome to purchase. Images 6-14 are close-ups of the scratches, etc. The age is estimated to be from the late Edo period to the Meiji era. It has been used as a daily item for over 100 years, so please understand that there will be age-related wear and tear. History of Aizu Hongo-yaki: In 1777, ceramic artist Heikichi Kondo was invited from Edo to provide technical guidance on porcelain production in Aizu. Furthermore, in 1797, Ihei Sato went on a journey to Hizen Arita to learn the techniques of porcelain firing. This shows the great expectations the domain had for porcelain production at the time. Ihei became a servant of the Bodaiji Temple of the Nabeshima clan, and was trusted by those around him. He entered and exited the Arita kilns, learning in detail how to mix ceramic stone, glaze, and paints, and returned to Japan. In 1800, he succeeded in firing porcelain. Ihei, as the founder of Aizu Hongo-yaki porcelain, is enshrined in the Touso-byo (founder's mausoleum) of Joshotemple along with Genzaemon Mizuno, the founder of pottery. The advent of porcelain was a groundbreaking event, and although the pottery that had been produced up to that point was protected by the domain, it was not yet an industry of the domain. However, with the success of porcelain, it became an important national industry as a domain kiln industry. In addition, the Seto-kata Yakuba (Seto Section Office) was established under the town magistrate, and Ihei was appointed as the Seto-kata Muneyaku (Seto Section Manager). As the system was developed and expanded, the technology also improved, and in the Bunsei era, Koemon Tedateki succeeded in seme-daki (reduction flame firing), finally obtaining white porcelain firing. In addition, Heihachi Kato, a potter from Aizu, developed the technique of sometsuke mitsuga (underglaze blue with detailed painting) in the Bunkyu era, and painter Io Saito taught the painting methods of landscapes, flowers, etc., and painter Mokichi from Kyoto taught the firing method of nishikide (overglaze enamel), completing Aizu porcelain. Height: Approximately 27.5cm If you purchase immediately, it will be assumed that you have agreed to the purchase. Please look at the photos carefully before purchasing to avoid any misunderstandings such as "it's different from what I expected" after purchase. #Tokkuri #AizuHongoYaki #Sometsuke #SakeVessel #Landscape #Porcelain #LateEdoPeriod #MeijiEra #JapaneseSake #Sake #Japan