12th Mar, 2026 11:00
The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers Part 2
145
A KURO-NEGORO RITUAL SAKE FLASK, HEISHI, EARLY EDO PERIOD
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
€3,000
€6,000
A buyer’s premium of 30.00% (including VAT) applies to the hammer price of this lot if your bid is successful.
Published: Jean-Paul Desroches (ed.) et al, Two Americans in Paris. A Quest for Asian Art, Paris, 2016, p. 232, no. 367.
Exhibited:
1. Pointe-à-Callière Museum, From the Lands of Asia. The Sam and Myrna Myers Collection, Montréal, 17 November 2016-19 March 2017.
2. Kimbell Art Museum, From the Lands of Asia. The Sam and Myrna Myers Collection, Fort Worth, Texas, 4 March-19 August 2018.
Japan, circa 17th century or possibly a bit earlier. Of turned and assembled wood, with upright splayed base, tapered body, and rounded shoulders, the neck also tapered and rising to a rounded lip, covered overall in kuro-negoro (brown and black) lacquer.
Inscriptions: Inscribed to the base.
Provenance: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers, Paris, France. Acquired between circa 1965-2012.
Condition: Good condition with wear and manufacturing irregularities. Age cracks, flaking—particularly around the mouth, scratches, and old repairs with associated touchups.
Weight: 1,441.1 g
Dimensions: Height 30.5 cm
Among wooden, lacquered heishi (ritual sake flasks), there are two general forms: one with broad, gentle shoulders, and another where the outward and inward curves are sharply distinguished at the shoulder. This example, finished in black lacquer known as kuro-negoro, has a slender spout attached at the top. The base is relatively thick and small in proportion, while the lower body is elongated.
The present lacquered sake bottle could be used in rites of a Shinto temple. Its form resembles the Chinese meiping, but in Japan the curves are accentuated: the shoulders are broader, the waist more extreme and the foot more exaggerated. Its sobriety accords with tea ceremony taste.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related black lacquer heishi, early Edo period, 30.5 cm high, in the Wakayama Prefectural Museum. Compare a closely related lacquered wood sake flask, hikimono type, dated 14th-15th century, 28.3 cm high, in the Sainsbury Centre, University of East Anglia, Norwich, accession number 1163.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s London, 16 November 2000, lot 95
Price: GBP 16,450 or approx. EUR 44,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare negoro lacquer heishi (bottle), late Muromachi period, 16th century
Expert remark: Note the size (32.4 cm).
Published: Jean-Paul Desroches (ed.) et al, Two Americans in Paris. A Quest for Asian Art, Paris, 2016, p. 232, no. 367.
Exhibited:
1. Pointe-à-Callière Museum, From the Lands of Asia. The Sam and Myrna Myers Collection, Montréal, 17 November 2016-19 March 2017.
2. Kimbell Art Museum, From the Lands of Asia. The Sam and Myrna Myers Collection, Fort Worth, Texas, 4 March-19 August 2018.
Japan, circa 17th century or possibly a bit earlier. Of turned and assembled wood, with upright splayed base, tapered body, and rounded shoulders, the neck also tapered and rising to a rounded lip, covered overall in kuro-negoro (brown and black) lacquer.
Inscriptions: Inscribed to the base.
Provenance: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers, Paris, France. Acquired between circa 1965-2012.
Condition: Good condition with wear and manufacturing irregularities. Age cracks, flaking—particularly around the mouth, scratches, and old repairs with associated touchups.
Weight: 1,441.1 g
Dimensions: Height 30.5 cm
Among wooden, lacquered heishi (ritual sake flasks), there are two general forms: one with broad, gentle shoulders, and another where the outward and inward curves are sharply distinguished at the shoulder. This example, finished in black lacquer known as kuro-negoro, has a slender spout attached at the top. The base is relatively thick and small in proportion, while the lower body is elongated.
The present lacquered sake bottle could be used in rites of a Shinto temple. Its form resembles the Chinese meiping, but in Japan the curves are accentuated: the shoulders are broader, the waist more extreme and the foot more exaggerated. Its sobriety accords with tea ceremony taste.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related black lacquer heishi, early Edo period, 30.5 cm high, in the Wakayama Prefectural Museum. Compare a closely related lacquered wood sake flask, hikimono type, dated 14th-15th century, 28.3 cm high, in the Sainsbury Centre, University of East Anglia, Norwich, accession number 1163.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s London, 16 November 2000, lot 95
Price: GBP 16,450 or approx. EUR 44,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare negoro lacquer heishi (bottle), late Muromachi period, 16th century
Expert remark: Note the size (32.4 cm).
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Auction: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers Part 2, 12th Mar, 2026
Online Catalog: Jump to the Online Catalog
It is with great pleasure that we present the second part of the Sam and Myrna Myers Collection — an extraordinary ensemble that has traveled across continents and inspired scholars, connoisseurs, and collectors alike. It is, without question, one of the most significant and important collections ever entrusted to this gallery. Learn more.
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