A LARGE STONEWARE JAR

Shigaraki ware refers to stoneware pottery crafted within the Shigaraki valley of Shiga Prefecture, located approximately 50 km east of Kyoto. Benefiting from the nearby Lake Biwa, the area provides abundant clay that contains iron and is suitable for making pottery. Following prolonged exposure to intense firing at elevated temperatures, these clays metamorphose into unglazed, exquisite Shigaraki jars with a diverse array of appearances and personalities.
While the precise inception of the Shigaraki kiln remains a topic of debate, there is a widely held consensus that it flourished during the medieval period and is presently regarded as one of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan. Dominating the kiln's output from the late 13th to the 16th century were three shapes: the narrow-necked jars (tsubo, as seen in the present lot), the wide-mouthed jars (kame), and the grating dishes (suribachi). These jars, fashioned through the hagizukuri technique, entail the stacking of four to five layers of clay, often discernibly manifesting the joints of these strata on the surface. The inherent coarseness of Shigaraki clay engenders permeability in the vessels, endowing them with the capacity to preserve rice and tea leaves, as opposed to liquids.