12th century
Height 37.5 cm, mouth diameter 23.1 cm, body diameter 33.5 cm, bottom diameter 13.3 cm
The provenance of this jar is not clear, as it is said to have been excavated in the Okumikawa region of Aichi Prefecture, but it is thought to be one of the jars excavated from the Horaiji Sutra Mound in Minamishitara County or the Imamizu Haiji Sutra Mound in Shinshiro City in recent years.
This type of medium-sized jar is often used as an outer container for sutra cylinders, and has been found in many sutra mounds throughout Japan, but this is one of the best examples of its kind. It is thought to have been made around the beginning of the 12th century. The brownish-brown surface of this jar, fired by oxidizing iron, is richly covered with a yellowish-green ash glaze that flows down to the lower half of the body, giving it a powerful impression.
