Excavated from the Soga Hiraide Site, Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture
11th century
Height 4.5cm, mouth diameter 15.3cm, bottom diameter 8.1cm
Hiraide Site Archaeological Museum
This is a shallow-bodied arm, and although it is wheel-thrown with a water wheel, the wheel throwing technique has degenerated considerably. It is made of gray hard clay and is glazed with an ash glaze using the “pickling” method, in which the glaze is dipped into the clay while being turned on a stand. Judging from the base and glaze tone, this pottery is probably from a Tono type ash glaze pottery kiln in Gifu Prefecture. In Nagano Prefecture, there are many products from Tono kilns, especially in the first half of the 11th century.
Excavated from the Soga Hiraide Site, Shiojiri City, Nagano Prefecture
11th century
Height 4.5cm, mouth diameter 12.8cm, bottom diameter 6.7cm
Hiraide Site Archaeological Museum
The clay used for the base is grayish-white, dense, high-quality pottery clay. The refraction by the horizontal nadir under the mouth rim is a technique of the final stage of ash glaze pottery. The rectangular shape of the cross section of the base is also seen in the Tono kilns of this period. The ash glaze is produced by the pickling method, and the high temperature of the glaze causes it to fuse well, resulting in a white color. Judging from the glaze tone of the base, this piece was probably made at the Nagata kiln in Ena City, Gifu Prefecture.
Excavated from Soga Nobezawa Site, Shiojiri-shi, Nagano
11th century
Height 5.7cm, mouth diameter 16.0-16.6cm, bottom diameter 8.3cm
Hiraide Archaeological Museum
Judging from the base and glaze tone, this is probably a product of Tono kilns. The clay is fine and white with high refractoriness, but it is not fully fired, and the glaze is not fully melted. There are four rings on the mouth rim that have been slightly pressed from the outside. There are traces of direct over-firing on the interior surface.
Height 8.6 cm, mouth diameter 18.3 cm, bottom diameter 10.0 cm
Hiraide Site Archaeological Museum
This is a large ash glazed bowl with a deep body. The base is 1.5 cm high. Such deep bowls are often seen in products from Tono kilns or ash glazed pottery kilns in Higashimikawa. The base is a dense yellowish-white color, but it is not fully fired, and the ash glaze is cloudy and not fully melted. Based on the clay and glaze tone, this piece is thought to be from an ash glaze pottery kiln in the Tajimi City area of Gifu Prefecture.
