The square section bottle is decorated on each side with two alternating framed panels of pagodas in a river landscape in gold hiromaki-e on a black ground, 16.9cm high.
The shoulders of the bottle have four chrysanthemum motifs in gold flat makie, which imitate the brocades traditionally used to cover jars and bottles.
The 1835 Burghley Inventory records: ‘Japan Closet, Glass case opposite the window, A Bottle Black & gold.’
The 1867 Burghley Inventory records: ‘Cabinets, No 88 Japan Closet, A black and gold japanned bottle.’