FOUR-HANDLED JAR, Ko-Seto, ash-glazed, Kamakura Period (1185–1333 CE)

An ash-glazed, four-handled Ko-Seto jar from the Kamakura period.

A four-handled jar with a rounded body, a short neck, and a thickly rolled rim. Four handles are attached to the shoulder, giving it a substantial height of 31 cm. Though lacking additional ornament, the thick rim, broad shoulder, and the mass of the body convey the robust presence characteristic of medieval kiln wares.

Ko-Seto refers to the pottery produced at the Seto kilns, which made fully glazed ceramics in medieval Japan. Jars, bottles, and four-handled jars were fashioned using ash glaze, and during the Kamakura period they served both in temples and in samurai households. This example, too, does not rely on fine ornament; the clay’s texture, the flow of the ash glaze, and the ruggedness of firing constitute its visual appeal.

The vessel surface is coated with an ash glaze that presents hues from ash-green to a yellowish cast. The glaze flows from the shoulder down onto the body, forming a pronounced run at the front. Glazed areas alternate with exposed clay, and the surface bears wheel-throwing marks as well as roughening produced during firing in the kiln.

The four small lugs bear comb-like incisions on their surfaces. Though functional, they form a pleasing accent against the rounded body. The thickly rolled rim and the ash-glaze effects remaining on the shoulder are further highlights.

There is wear on the rim and handles; the body shows repairs, kiln blemishes, and areas of glaze loss. Traces of soil adhere around the footring. This Kamakura-period Ko-Seto four-handled jar clearly exhibits the flowing ash glaze and the coarse texture of the clay.