Sake vessel (Heishi)

Ritual Negoro lacquer sake vessels, made in Negoro-dera Temple in Wakayama Prefecture, were used in Shinto shrines as offerings to the deities (kami). This one belongs to a pair—as was typical of such vessels—and exhibits the defining features of the type: a small cylindrical spout, shoulders swelling gracefully into a generous curve, and a body tapering to a narrow waist before flaring outward toward a broad foot. A thirteenth-century illustrated handscroll depicts a sake bottle of similar form, closely resembling Chinese celadons of the Song dynasty (960–1279). Specifically, the elegant S-shaped profile draws inspiration from Chinese meiping ceramics, which originally served as vases for plum blossoms. Comparable jars were also produced in Japan at the Ko-Seto kilns, and it is likely that lacquer versions developed in response to the popularity of their ceramic counterparts.