A TURQUOISE-GLAZED TOKKURI (SAKE FLASK) Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Of conical form, tapering towards the short straight foot, and surmounted by an elongated neck with everted rim, the upper third covered in a pale-turquoise glaze suffused with a dense network of crackles, the lower third of the vessel covered in a dark-brown glaze above a ribbed body. HEIGHT 22.7 cm WEIGHT 1,301 g Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, small losses to the upper and lower rim with small glaze flakes, and manufacturing flaws including firing cracks to the underside and uneven glazing. Provenance: The private collection of the Société Industrielle de Mulhouse, preserved in the society for over 100 years. The base with a collector’s number ‘AD 974.293.1’, ‘SIM 2008.0.0472’, and ‘9/294’. An old label ‘9574 744 9’ to the base, a label ‘44’ to the neck, and another label ‘Japon 1900 9/6 523’ inside the vase. Founded in 1826, the Société Industrielle de Mulhouse (SIM) is based in Alsace, France, established under Charles X by Protestant industrialists, including Émile Dollfus and Joseph Koechlin-Schlumberger. Throughout the 19th century, the SIM was a laboratory of ideas, where the ‘Mulhouse model’ was developed, a unique convergence of industry, research, and education. A collection was established with the aim to bring together knowledge in a central location, whether in natural sciences, fine arts, or history. Today, thousands of works remain from these collections, some of them highly prestigious in their fields. Over the decades, much of the collection was given to local museums and cultural institutions.