Excavated from Kamogawa, Noto Town, Hozu County, Ishikawa Prefecture
14th century
Height 33.5cm, mouth diameter 14.5cm, body diameter 30.2cm, bottom diameter 11.0cm
Buddhist temple
If I were asked to single out one outstanding piece of Suzu ware, I would not hesitate to mention this four-mimi jar. It is one of my favorite Suzu ware. It is thick, heavy, and very well fired, with a grayish-black color and natural ash fall from the neck to half of the body.
It has four vertical ears on the shoulders, which are unique to Suzu and not found on any other medieval pottery. This four-lobed jar may have inherited the tradition of the exaggerated ears on twin-lobed jars, a characteristic of Heian-period Sue ware from the Hokuriku region. The bottom is cut with a still thread cutter, the body is jointed by cord making, and after forming by plate beating, the surface of the vessel is adjusted by cutting. It is a representative work of the late Kamakura period.
