Artwork Page for Storage Jar

Details / Information for Storage Jar

Storage Jar

1400s

Japan, Muromachi period

(1392–1573)
Medium
Stoneware with natural ash glaze (Tamba ware)
Measurements
Diameter: 37 cm (14 9/16 in.); Overall: 46.5 cm (18 5/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift from the Collection of George Gund III 2015.494
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

For centuries the Tokai region surrounding present-day Nagoya has been an especially fertile ceramic production center. One site was a group of kilns located west of Kyoto, in Tamba province. Nestled in a farming valley in the mountains behind the modern port of Kobe, Tamba required a regular supply of storage vessels and sturdy containers for distributing grain. This jar was formed in three sections, each fluted to the next and turned on a potter's wheel to scrape off excess material. Both interior and exterior walls were smoothed with a wooden or bamboo tool, leaving markings on the lower body and shoulder. The neck opening is small and wheel-turned, as is the neck, which bears fine lines and a matte-glazed surface. The lustrous green glaze that highlights the jar once trailed from the vessel's lip and clung to the entire shoulder wall, mingling with the warm, orange-brown tone of the clay body underneath. The surface is crackled with craters where stone material within the clay migrated up to the surface during firing and then fell away. The result is a particularly rich and varied "landscape," typical of Tamba ware's subdued, earthy vitality.
A rounded stoneware vessel tapers toward a narrow base, featuring a short neck with a jagged, broken rim. Glossy olive-green glaze pools at the shoulder, streaking down the sides in heavy, translucent drips. The lower body exposes a matte, earthy brown surface marked by subtle horizontal ridges. Light catches the fluid glaze, accentuating the contrast between the smooth, dripping finish and the vessel's gritty, unglazed clay body.

Storage Jar

1400s

Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573)

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

    Contact Us

    The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

    Update or Correct Artwork Information

    Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

    Report a Website Issue

    Further Questions About This Artwork