Sake Bottle (Tokkuri)
The small porcelain sake bottle appears to be made of wood covered in lacquer. Its dark brown glaze, mimicking a black lacquer surface, is embellished with a gold and silver "sprinkled picture" (maki-e) bird-and-flower composition. The design may be based on a traditional pattern showing a warbler on a plum tree, an auspicious symbol of the new year that refers to the "First Song of Spring" (Hatsune) chapter of The Tale of Genji. Moore and his team designed a tea and coffee set around 1870–75, on view nearby, that incorporates a similar composition.
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