YAMAZARA (MOUNTAIN DISH), Sanage kiln, 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 an extensive array of ceramic wares, unmatched in any other region for its prolonged and large-scale production. Within the significant transition from Sue ware to ash-glazed pottery, the Sanage kiln played a pivotal role in the history of Japanese ceramics, serving as a progenitor for the Seto and Tokoname kilns in the medieval period, and later for the Mino region in the early modern era.
This piece is a mountain dish from the Sanage kiln, dating back to the Heian to Kamakura periods. Its gracefully warped bowl shape, adorned with ash glaze and ash deposits along the rim, reflects the lineage of this ancient kiln. It would serve beautifully as a tea vessel or a stand for a teapot.