Square sake bottle with chestnut skin glaze, Tamba ware

This sake bottle was made by being entirely covered with Kurikawa (literally ‘chestnut skin’) glaze — so called because the final finish resembles the colour of the outer layer of chestnut. The angular body and the sharp corners make this bottle appear metallic, but it is surprisingly light when held in hand. A seal with the characters Ichifusa can be seen pressed on the bottom side; exclusively created high-end products with this kind of seals emerged in the later half of the Edo period.