Provided are an electrode and a battery having superior charge-discharge cycle characteristics and capable of obtaining a higher energy density. The battery comprises a spirally wound electrode body (20) including a cathode (21) and an anode (22) spirally wound with a separator (23) in between. During charge, lithium metal is precipitated on the anode (22), so the capacity of the anode (22) is represented by the sum of a capacity component by insertion and extraction of lithium and a capacity component by precipitation and dissolution of the lithium metal. The anode (22) includes a mixture layer (22b) having a powdered anode active material, and the mixture layer (22b) has liquid absorption properties that when 1 .mu.dm.sup.3 of propylene carbonate is dropped on the mixture layer (22b) at 23.degree. C., a contact angle that the mixture layer (22b) forms with a propylene carbonate drop becomes 10 degrees within 100 seconds. Thereby, the mixture layer (22b) is impregnated with an electrolyte solution quickly and uniformly, so lithium metal is uniformly precipitated on the whole mixture layer (22b).