Photo/Illutration Porcelain whiskey bottles in a wide variety of designs are put on display for a special exhibition at the Yokoyama Art Museum in Nagoya's Higashi Ward. (Yuji Sato)

NAGOYA--Elvis Presley clutching a microphone. Marilyn Monroe holding her skirt in place. 

These are just a few examples of the many nostalgic American pop-culture characters sculpted into ceramic, Japanese-made whisky bottles produced for sale overseas.

The Yokoyama Art Museum in Nagoya's Higashi Ward is currently hosting a special exhibit showcasing about 240 of the porcelain bottles exported from Aichi Prefecture to the United States from Japan’s post-war recovery period to the 1990s.

The spot-on renderings were an impressive feat given the era in which they were made, according to the museum.

"There was no internet at the time. It was difficult to get ahold of photographs and other reference materials," a museum official said. "One of the highlights is that they were so skillfully designed that you can't tell which part is the stopper."

The old-fashioned, decorative bottles were sold as home bar decor that could be brought out to liven up parties.

The bottles cover a wide variety of themes, including other famous stars, U.S. presidents, cars, ships, pets and wild animals. One of the more popular designs was the bald eagle, the national bird of the United States, modeled spreading its wings.

Many of the bottles were produced in Seto, Aichi Prefecture, while the cities of Owariasahi, Nagoya and Tokoname were also known for being major production areas. The prefecture was a hub for ceramic bottle exports and accounted for about 80 percent of them.

The exhibition runs until the end of February. Admission is 1,000 yen ($9.60) for adults.

For more information, visit the museum's official website at: https://www.yokoyama-art-museum.or.jp/.

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