In the Edo period, painting on glass was usually achieved not through enameling, which requires that the enamels be fired to fix them, but an application of the maki-e technique, in which the pigments are attached to the glass with urushi lacquer. Most such designs are simple; the sophisticated maki-e created with delicate brushwork seen on this bottle is rare. The wisteria blossoms are elegantly dangling in three clusters. A record states that purple glass was first blown in Edo by the glassmaker Man'emon in the Hōreki era (1751-1764). The box for this bottle carries the ink inscription "1825 (Bunsei 8), 10th month, Hayashi."