Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573) / late 1300s–1400s
Storage Jar
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Storage Jar as ceramic (Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573) · late 1300s–1400s).
This jar was probably made using a coiling method, where coils of clay are stacked atop each other and smoothed to form its structure.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this ceramic as Stoneware with natural ash glaze (Shigaraki ware).
The museum's collection notes: The red color of this jar comes from iron in the clay. Natural ash glaze settled on the vessel during firing. The rim would have been complete with a slightly flared lip. Around the collar is an incised pattern resembling cypress fences, a common scene in the Japanese landscape. Intended for grain storage, rustic vessels like this one were also prized by tea enthusiasts, who appreciated the uncalculated beauty of the glaze and the asymmetry of these humble vessels.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtStorage JarOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.