Oil Bottle

This is a container for holding oil. Since plant-based oils were used as both cooking oil and lamp oil, each household kept oil bottles in various locations in the house such as the kitchen, main living room and various other rooms for convenient use. With the modern-day introduction of petroleum, bottles were filled with kerosene instead. In general, oil bottles are made of materials such as earthenware crock and white porcelain, and shaped like a funnel with a mouth wider and deeper than the neck. The size of bottles varies according to the kind of oil used, i.e. its purpose of use. The wide and deep mouth allowed this bottle to serve as a funnel. The narrow neck is tied with string made of hemp or straw, and hung from a pillar or a wall. The bottle shown here is a white porcelain oil bottle. It is a short-necked, streamlined bottle with its body becoming narrower from the lower part to the upper part. The color of this bottle is pale grey, and decorated with a herb and flower pattern painted on its body using iron sand. This bottle can be hung up on a wall or a pillar in the house, due to a twine tied to the neck.