Jar with short neck, ash glaze. Sanage ware.

Collection NumberA000888
TitleJar with short neck, ash glaze. Sanage ware.
DateHeian period, 9th century.
Artist, Kiln, Workshop猿投窯 Sanage ware
Name of prefectures & citiesAichi prefecture, Japan
Place of excavationFrom Takayama city, Gifu prefucture.
Description of works【Glassy green glaze on an off-white base — intriguing contrast】
Kaiyu-toki (ash-glazed ware) flourished in the ninth century CE after the Sanage Kilns perfected their techniques for creating it. Compared to the piece displayed on the left, which was made between the end of the eighth and the early ninth century CE, the base of this jar is almost white and the ash glaze is a relatively light green rather than a dark green, suggesting that the Kilns had developed a new type of ceramic using brighter colors than those of sue ware (stoneware), a popular product previously made by the Kilns.
In this work, our eyes are drawn to the beautiful contrast of textures and colors between the off-white matte base and the glowing green ash glaze. These new ceramics obviously attracted people’s attention, as they were popularly put to use as cinerary urns in the Tokai, Kanto, and Kinki regions.

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