Sake bottle

This long-necked sake bottle from the Edo period was purchased by Freer as part of a larger collection, the Waggaman Collection of 1905. Its previous owner, Thomas A. Waggaman, was among the founders of Catholic University in Washington, DC. On February 2, 1905, a New York Times article referred to sale of the Waggaman Collection and mentioned Freer as one of the purchasers, along with the author, O. Henry. This pear-shaped vessel is sometimes referred to as a "crane's neck bottle" because of its unique opening. Its coloration is dark brown, and the glaze of its clay body is flecked with an ochre yellow finish-almost as if it were sprinkled with pure gold.