Japanese Lacquer Tokkuri with Tokugawa Mon
December 2012 Auction by Far East Asian Art

The exterior of this unusual sake bottle (tokkuri) is decorated with the three-petal mon of the Tokugawa family executed in gold and silver makie lacquer and kana-gai metallic foils scattered on a fine nashiji (pearskin) sprinkled gold lacquer ground. Mid-19th century. The interior is covered in red lacquer. The composition of the mon decoration is varied, with some done in gold makie lacquer; others in gold and silver makie; and also some in gold and silver kana-gai foils...