Covered Two-handled Jar, Shigaraki Ware (?)

Description

Covered two-handled jar
Japan
Edo period (1615–1868)
Mid-18th century
Stoneware with blue-black glaze
Transfer from the College
of Architecture and Design,
1972/2.92A&B

The earthy ground of this Shigaraki ware jar serves as the ideal background for a bright blue glaze. Producing wares like this entailed a high degree of spontaneity, as the firing process caused a chemical reaction that transformed the initially clear olive-grey-tinted glaze into a range of different colors depending on how they reacted with the high temperatures of the kiln. While a skilled potter could predict that the glaze applied to the jar prior to the firing process would produce a glossy blue texture, predicting the range of tonalities seen here—which vary from neon to milky blue—proved more of a challenge. Those who could control this process garnered the largest following.

(Japanese Gallery Rotation, Summer 2025)