KONPURA BOTTLE, Salt-glazed, German Antiques, Early Modern Period（16th–19th centuries）

The term "comprador" derives from Portuguese, meaning "broker." During the Edo period, merchants in Nagasaki formed a guild known as Konpura-sha, which initiated the export of Japanese products via the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Among these exports was a type of soy sauce bottle commonly referred to as the "Konpura bottle" or "Dutch bottle."

This particular piece was acquired in the Netherlands. Examples of this kind are exceedingly rare, and according to antique dealers, it is a sake bottle crafted from German salt-glazed stoneware, circulated primarily throughout Europe. The innovative spout is intricately carved, and the copper bears the inscription, in rudimentary characters, "Special Import of the Finest Japanese Soy Sauce."

One cannot help but envision the German potters of the time, attempting to carve kanji characters by imitation. This piece is highly recommended for any collection and is undoubtedly an intriguing work, even as a vessel for sake.