Excavated from Kaniana Tumulus, Tōshi-machi, Toba-shi, Mie.
7th century.
Height 55.0cm, Mouth diameter 24.2cm, Body diameter 36.5cm, Bottom diameter 24.5cm.
Tokyo National Museum
This is the largest long-necked vase with a base known to date, and is overflowing with an overwhelming sense of weight. The slightly rounded body with a ridge at the border between the shoulder and body, the large, trumpet-shaped mouth and neck, and the low, yet stable, outwardly stretched base, all suggest that this long-necked vase with base was produced in the late 7th century. The clay base is iron-rich, and the clay was rolled up and pounded to tighten the molding, after which the pounding was removed. The firing process was slightly oxidized, and a brownish-green natural glaze was applied generously over the entire surface of the shoulder from part of the mouth, which, combined with the size of the vessel, gives it a powerful impression. Needless to say, this long-necked vase with stand was probably made for burial in a kofun mound rather than for practical use, considering its size. Sue ware of the Kofun period was produced at its largest scale in the second quarter of the 6th century and the third quarter of the 7th century, indicating that it was produced during a period when rituals to the gods were emphasized.
