This handsome, sturdy grain storage jar was produced in the area known as Shigaraki. Large vessels of this type were built from several layers of coiled clay rather than turned on a wheel. The natural actions of random ash glazing and irruptions of feldspar from within the clay contrast nicely with the rough, incised design pattern around the vessel’s neck.
The Shigaraki kilns profited from their proximity to the tea-growing fields of Uji, where storage vessels
were always in demand. From the early 1500s, practitioners of the tea ceremony were attracted to the
unpretentious character of Shigaraki ware.
Before ever visiting Japan, Lee studied Asian ceramics and learned the skill of identifying types simply by touch. The sheer tactile nature of this vessel appealed to him.
