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Sake Bottle (Tokkuri) in the Shape of an Eggplant

second half 19th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 231
Because nasu (eggplant) was extremely popular in Edo, it also came to be regarded as an auspicious symbol. These assocations most famously appear in the saying “First Mount Fuji, second a hawk, third an eggplant,” describing three images believed to bring good fortune when seen in the year’s first dream. Eggplant’s symbolism derives from a wordplay on nasu (“to accomplish”), along with the plant’s abundant fruiting, which suggests prosperity and fertility. .

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 茄子形徳利
  • Title: Sake Bottle (Tokkuri) in the Shape of an Eggplant
  • Period: Edo period (1615–1868) or Meiji period (1868–1912)
  • Date: second half 19th century
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Stoneware with iridescent iron glaze and rice straw ash (Bairin ware)
  • Dimensions: H. 7 1/8 in. (18.1 cm); Diam. 5 1/8 in. (13.0 cm)
  • Classification: Ceramics
  • Credit Line: Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891
  • Object Number: 91.1.218
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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