Excavated from Sutra Mound, Gongenzan Nyobodo, Shingu City, Wakayama
12th century
Height 29.3 cm, mouth diameter 12.3 cm, body diameter 23.3 cm, bottom diameter 12.5 cm
If one of the characteristics of Tokoname is the three-striped jar, then this jar with engraved design can be said to be characteristic of Atsumi. The engraved design on the shoulders of small jars with parallel sunken lines depicting various patterns is so standardized that a large number of these jars were fired.
Among them, this jar is the most complete and of the highest quality. Three parallel sunken lines, probably painted on the shoulder with a half-cut bamboo tube, are connected by a staggered figure-eight style pattern. The base is made of coarse clay rich in the sandy texture unique to Atsumi, and the vessel is formed by rolling up the clay and shaping it horizontally with a nade-shaping technique. The slightly outwardly opened neck is folded outward at the apex to form a triangular cross section with a triangular rim band. It is well fired and has a grayish-brown surface with a yellowish-brown natural glaze on the shoulder. This is the most typical example of Atsumi ware with engraved motifs.
