Wine Bottle 1835

This black glazed stoneware wine bottle was made by Masamoto Naosaku. The bulbous form, narrowing at the neck, speaks to the importance of both utility and aesthetics in Japanese ceramic traditions. While the exact date of creation is unknown, the emphasis on simple, elegant design suggests the influence of the Mingei movement, which flourished in Japan during the early to mid-20th century. Mingei promoted the value of ordinary, handcrafted objects made by anonymous craftspeople. This bottle, with its dark, lustrous glaze, embodies the Mingei philosophy of finding beauty in the everyday. Studying the history of Japanese ceramics, alongside social movements like Mingei, helps us appreciate how artistic values are always tied to broader cultural attitudes about labor, class, and the role of art in society.