Excavated from a medieval tomb in Koka County, Shiga Prefecture.
Attributed to the 2nd year of the Oan era (1369)
Mouth diameter 24.9cm, body diameter 28.2-29.2cm, bottom diameter 15.5-16.7cm, height 28.7cm
This is a small jar in the shape of an “arithmetic bowl” with a large mouth with a wide rim band that continues to the shoulder and bends into a “U” shape in the center of the body. The almost linear shape of the body, coupled with the wide mouth, gives the jar a certain sense of harshness. The molding was done in a four-tiered joint, and the mouth rim was folded back to form a wide rim band with a sense of interiority. It has a unique Shigaraki clay flavor, containing a large amount of feldspar and silica, and although the firing temperature is not very high, the red fire color comes out well. There is an inscription in black ink on the upper half of the body, written vertically on the right side, which reads “Oan Chu-Nenguchi. Oan” refers to the second year of Oan (1369), the early Muromachi period, during the reign of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. There may be more characters, but they are too thin to read.
The so-called “arithmetic ball” shape of the body is widely seen in medieval pottery from various regions, and is considered to be a characteristic of the period from the Nanbokucho period (1368-1644) to the early Muromachi period (1333-1568).
It is said to have been recently excavated from a medieval tomb in Koka County, Shiga Prefecture, and is thought to have been used as a warehouse vessel.
