This is one of the specialties of Karatsu as described by antique dealers. It was produced from the Kan’ei period (1624-44) to the Kyoho period (1716-36). The pottery is hard with a bluish-black glaze. The pottery is considered good if it has a wrinkle pattern within the base. The shape is often not a regular circle. The reason for the name “hokide” is that the craftspeople buried clay vessels that had been excessively burned, warped, or damaged, but later on, they dug them out and gave them awards. (Kogei Shiryo, “Craftsmen’s History”)
