This boat-shaped bowl has a bat, its wings outspread, on the stern and a tomoe (double interlocking comma) motif on the prow. In China, the bat is a symbol of good fortune (since the words are homonyms) and is used extensively on art-craft items as an auspicious motif. The tomoe motif also originated on the mainland of Asia; it signifies that the yin-yang fundamentals of the universe are in balance. While those decorative themes suggest a grand concept, we do not know what the bowl as a whole signified or how it was used. The composition of motifs is unique, and the fine, sharp cuts attest to the excellent skills of Satsuma glass workers.
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