Sake?

[BarbaraInCalif]

Recently came across what I believed to be sake bottles. They're from an area of the Sierra Nevada foothills that had a large Chinese population in the mid to late 1800's. But I'm confused because sake is considered more of a Japanese drink.
What are they?
How old are these bottles?

I love the assortment of lip finishes; they make a simple, yet beautiful display.

Thanks for the help,
Barbara

 

[BarbaraInCalif]

Bottoms...

 

[surfaceone]

Hello Barbara,

That is a beautiful group. I don't think they could be "Sake" bottles per se, as Sake is, for sure, Japanese rice wine. I'm getting a British feel from them. Could be some kinda Chinese rice wines, I suppose, though I'm not feeling it.

Are there no makers marks anywhere in the heel area? Small ovals, that might be obscured by the glaze?

 

[BarbaraInCalif]

Unfortunately there are no identifying marks to be found!
Three of the four are translucent; I can see just a shadow of my fingers when looking into the bottle.
Does that mean anything about the material thay are made of?

Barbara

 

[BarbaraInCalif]

This 11 inch tall unmarked beauty was in the batch of bottles too.
Do you have any idea of it's age or use?

 

[CALDIGR2]

Those are Chinese versions of Saki, or rice liquor. We have dug hundreds of them along the river south of here, and in places like Loomis and around Newcastle. Japanese Sakis are aqua or green glass and much taller than the ceramic ones. There was a levee near Isleton that had thousands of them dumped along it.

 

[surfaceone]

Hey Barbara,

I think that Mike is right. I was only about half a world wrong on place of origin.

Here's my wife's sake:

 

[BarbaraInCalif]

We have dug hundreds of them along the river south of here, and in places like Loomis and around Newcastle

Do you have photos of those Mike? It would be interesting to see their various sizes and lip finishes.
With them seemingly so common, are these about as exciting as finding an unembossed and unlabeled crown-top beer?
And where were they most probably made...they're looking rather westernized to this untrained eye?

Thanks guys,
Barbara

 

[rockbot]

Hi Barbara, I got a few pics for you. The two on the right are traditional 1890's sake bottles. The one on the left is a sake server and the other is a much newer sake bottle.

Aloha, Rocky

 

[rockbot]

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