Japan, Jōmon period (c. 10,500–300 BCE) / c. 2500 BCE
Fire-flame Cooking Vessel (Ka'en Doki)
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Fire-flame Cooking Vessel (Ka'en Doki) as ceramic (Japan, Jōmon period (c. 10,500–300 BCE) · c. 2500 BCE).
Scientifically tested residues from Jōmon vessels reveal that their makers consumed detoxified acorns.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this ceramic as Earthenware with carved and applied decoration.
The museum's collection notes: Archaeologists call this kind of vessel “fire flame,” ka’en in Japanese, because its top resembles flames. No one knows why the design was made or what it actually represents. This example is remarkable for the amount that is original. It was recently determined that a bottom from a different vessel was used during its reconstruction in the 1900s, creating a false impression of its intended scale; it would have initially been about four inches shorter. Since their lower portions were set into holes in the ground during use, bases of pots like this one often deteriorate and may be missing when they are excavated.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtFire-flame Cooking Vessel (Ka'en Doki)Original explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.