Excavated from Kiln No. 4, Neura Kurozasa, Aza Fukuya, Miyoshi City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
8th century
Height 6.2 cm, Length 9.1 cm, Lid diameter 9.6 cm
Judging from its size, this is probably the lid of a long-necked jar. Several bottle lids with chicken-crown or bird’s-beak shaped knob lids have been found at the Sanage Kiln, but the only other such perfectly formed bird-knob lid is this one, which was excavated in July 1974 at the Kurozasa No. 7 Kiln.
The basic shape of the bird button is made by joining two boards together from the left and right sides, and then shaping it with a spatula. The eyes are made by pressing bamboo tubes, and the beak and feathers are painted with a brush, but they are extremely realistic and capture the characteristics of the bird well. It is likely that the potters, deep in the mountains, became familiar with the ecology of the waterfowl that flocked and played in the wetlands of the valley. The characteristics of these birds are beautifully captured in a concise expression. The dark green ash glaze applied to the entire surface gives a moist luster that brings the birds to life.
