White Delft ointment jars were originally made as small containers for medicines and other pharmaceutical preparations. During the Edo period, European wares of this kind were among the objects brought to Japan by Dutch traders through Dejima in Nagasaki, at a time when the Dutch were the only Europeans permitted to maintain regular trade with Japan.<\/p>\n
In Japan, some of these small jars came to be appreciated beyond their original function and were repurposed as sake cups. White Delft examples of this size continue to be particularly admired by collectors of sake ware for their simple forms, soft white tin glaze, and the subtle irregularities that develop with age.<\/p>\n
This example was acquired in Japan. It is entirely possible that it was brought to Japan by a modern antiques dealer, but it is equally impossible to rule out the possibility that it arrived much earlier, perhaps through the Dutch trade during the Edo period after a long voyage to Dejima.<\/p>\n
There is no way to establish its individual history with certainty. Yet this uncertainty is also part of the pleasure of living with an old object: its surface survives in the present, while much of the journey that brought it here remains unknown.<\/p>\n
Condition & Kintsugi Repair<\/strong><\/p>\n As the vessel was intended to remain usable as a sake cup, only the large loss at the rim was reconstructed using natural urushi lacquer and finished with 23.2-karat gold powder.<\/p>\n Several smaller chips remain around the rim and near the base. These were intentionally left unrepaired as traces of the vessel\u2019s age and history.<\/p>\n A hairline crack has been stabilized with urushi lacquer and is not expected to extend further under normal handling.<\/p>\n There is also general loss of glaze around the rim.<\/p>\n Dimensions<\/strong> Use & Care<\/strong><\/p>\n Suitable for display as well as careful practical use.<\/p>\n If used as a drinking vessel, it is well suited not only for sake but also as a small shot glass for amaro or other spirits.<\/p>\n If used, avoid microwave ovens, dishwashers, and prolonged soaking in water. Mild dishwashing detergent may be used. Wash gently by hand and dry thoroughly after use.<\/p>\n Price<\/strong> Request for Information<\/a><\/p>\n
\nDiameter: 6.2\u20136.3 cm
\nHeight: 3.9\u20134.0 cm
\nFoot diameter: 5 cm
\nMeasurements are approximate.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n1,400 USD<\/p>\n