Japanese antique wide-mouthed pottery jar from the Shigaraki area. This stoneware kame (wide mouthed bowl) was made using the local sandy clay from the bed of Lake Biwa. Shigaraki ware is identified by the embedded granules of feldspar. Mineral and ash glaze is dribbled and spattered over the surface leaving long, uneven drips. Depending on how the vessel is positioned during the firing process, if it falls over or if it is leaning on another piece, fragments of nearby pottery can stick, adding a story about it's journey inside the kiln. Such pottery like this kame, is valued for it's unusual natural appearance.
Shigaraki is known as one of the 6 great pottery regions (Six Ancient Kilns) of Japan.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 7" high x 7 1/2" wide