YAMAZARA (MOUNTAIN DISH)/ SAKE CUP, Sanage kiln, b, Kamakura Period (1185–1333 CE)

The Sanage kiln, which began producing Sue ware during the late Kofun period, ultimately faded from prominence around the end of the Kamakura period. As a central kiln site in the Tokai region, it has left behind a vast array of ceramic wares, and no other region has ever sustained such extensive and prolonged production of smoke. Within the significant transition from Sue ware to ash-glazed pottery, the Sanage kiln played a crucial role in Japan's ceramic history, serving as the progenitor of notable centers such as Seto and Tokoname in the medieval period, and Mino in the early modern era.
This piece is a mountain dish from the Sanage kiln, dating back to the Heian to Kamakura periods. It showcases the unique, cool-toned ash-fired clay characteristic of Sanage ware.