JAR, Ko-Bizen, Muromachi Period (1336–1573 CE)

A Ko‑Bizen jar with a short, upright mouth, broadly flaring shoulders, and a body that tapers gently toward the lower half. Its low, stable form retains numerous strong wheel marks across the body.

In Bizen, throughout the medieval period, unglazed, high-fired pottery such as jars and storage vessels was produced in abundance. Because these wares were fired at high temperatures without glaze, the color of the clay and the effects of flame and ash from the kiln appear directly on the surface of the vessels. This example likewise displays an unadorned, utilitarian form made for everyday use, and clearly reveals the variations brought about by firing.

On the reddish-brown clay surface, ash has settled, and from the shoulder to the upper body a natural glaze remains in mottled patches of yellow-green to brown. A blackish-brown scorch on one side overlaps the wheel-turned grooves encircling the body, producing different impressions depending on the viewing angle. A mark on the shoulder, believed to be the trace of a lost lug, contributes to a rugged, characteristically Ko-Bizen appearance.

Exhibits age-related wear, surface deposits, and kiln marks. With an inner liner, it can also be used as a flower vase for branches or seasonal grasses and blossoms.