Antique Japanese Tokkuri Sake Bottle Meiji Era Ceramic Jug with Calligraphy Vintage Wabi Sabi Stoneware Flower Vase Japanese Folk Art

Antique hand-painted Meiji Era, c. 1890s to 1910 Japanese Kayoi-Tokkuri Sake Bottle / "commuting sake bottle."

THE HISTORY & ORIGIN:

Dating back to the Meiji Era (1868–1912), these heavy stoneware jugs were used as reusable, rental containers. Long before modern packaging, customers would bring these empty bottles to their neighborhood merchant to be filled directly from the sake barrel. The distinct groove around the neck was designed to secure a hemp carrying cord, allowing patrons to easily carry their spirits home.

This bottle features striking, bold black hand-painted brushwork on both sides, which served as commercial advertising for the establishment. The front reads Omiya or Oumiya. Omi refers to the historic Omi Province that is home to Lake Biwa in modern-day Shiga Prefecture, and Ya means "shop" or "merchant." This bottle belonged to the historic Omiya Liquor Store. The back features a distinctive mercantile house mark, or Yagō. The top character is (jō), meaning "superior quality" or "above," set over a diagonally split square crest. This allowed the shop owner to easily spot and reclaim their bottle.

The bottle is 23 cm tall, 9.5 cm wide and 9.5 cm deep, weighing about 850 grams unpacked.

CONDITION:

This item is in sturdy antique condition and shows its genuine age. There are no cracks, repairs or crazing. Please note that there are a few historic chips on the ceramic body that appear to have been painted over or touched up long ago to match the surrounding patina. This is a common characteristic of utilitarian rental bottles that saw heavy everyday use over a century ago. The unglazed base remains solid and features authentic concentric wheel ridges (itokiri) and coarse sand particles.

As this item is being sold As Is, please view all pictures carefully and let us know if you have any questions.

(Item 0267)