Storage Jar
Unknown Artist
late 1300s–1400s
Medium
Stoneware with natural ash glaze (Shigaraki ware)
Dimensions
{"height":{"height":0.457},"diameter":{"height":0.42},"No Extent Specified":{}}
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1973.18
About this artwork
The red color of this jar comes from iron in the clay. Natural ash glaze settled on the vessel during firing. The rim would have been complete with a slightly flared lip. Around the collar is an incised pattern resembling cypress fences, a common scene in the Japanese landscape. Intended for grain storage, rustic vessels like this one were also prized by tea enthusiasts, who appreciated the uncalculated beauty of the glaze and the asymmetry of these humble vessels.