Storage Jar, c. 1600

The Shigaraki kilns in Shiga prefecture have been an active pottery center since the Kamakura period (1185–1333) and continue to produce pottery up to the present day. The distinct feature of Shigaraki ware is its bright green natural glaze, which appears over the burnt, reddish brown surface of the pots during the firing process. The local clay used for making Shigaraki bowls and jars is distinguished by a light sandy texture and a high proportion of feldspar granules that appear as glassy white spots on the surface of the fired vessel. Large storage jars like this one were coil-built in stages; they show horizontal registers where the potter stopped to let the pot dry enough to support the weight of the next rise of coils. The eye-catching natural green glaze flows from the mouth over the orange body of the jar. Connoisseurs of Japanese pottery have long admired the robust shapes, earthy colors, and rustic decoration exhibited in such utilitarian vessels.