JAR, Sue Ware, Nara–Heian Period（710–1185CE）

A Sue ware jar produced between the Nara and Heian periods.

With a broadly swelling body, a short upright neck, and a mouth rim that flares outward, this jar presents a taut silhouette that recalls early medieval kiln wares. The rounded, weighty body is offset by a thin, sharply finished rim, clearly expressing the hard, sculptural quality characteristic of ancient Sue ware.

The vessel’s form displays distortions that arose in the kiln during firing. The rim and the body’s contours do not form perfect circles but retain a subtle undulation, as if softened and shifted by the heat. Rather than flaws, these deformations are characteristic of ancient ceramics fired at high temperatures and constitute one of the piece’s notable features.

The vessel's surface retains hammer marks, and natural glaze and ash deposits from firing create a complex overall appearance. The skin, shifting from ashy blue to blackish brown, reveals the reddish color of the clay in places, giving it the rugged character of a piece long exposed to fire. Although undecorated, its surface—shaped by clay, fire, and ash—is richly expressive and offers many points of interest.

Sue ware developed from techniques brought from the Korean Peninsula during the Kofun period; it is a high‑fired, unglazed stoneware. In the Nara and Heian periods, vessels in the Sue ware lineage were produced alongside ash‑glazed wares, exemplified by the Sanage kilns, offering a view of the development of ceramics from antiquity into the early medieval era. This piece likewise displays the hard, stony surface characteristic of ancient Sue ware and the vigorous jar form that anticipates later kilns.

There are surface abrasions, ash deposits, soil staining, kiln marks, rim chips and gold repairs. The restorations are exceptionally meticulous, revealing the attentive care of the vessel’s former owner. There is no damage that significantly compromises the form, and the jar retains a robust presence characteristic of Sue ware.