The bottom of this dark earthen vessel has a stone-like quality indicative of the early kilns of Bizen, prior to the mass production of the Edo period. The side has lost some of the coating of natural ash glaze, another feature of early Bizen only acquired over much time. Indicating a date from the 15th to 16th centuries, Muromachi to early Edo period. The vessel features a later black Lacquered Tsukui-buta lid and two “mimi” ties on the shoulder. It is 20 cm (8 inches) diameter, 18 cm (7-1/4 inches) tall and in perfect condition, enclosed in an old wooden box titled Bizen Hyogata Mizuzsashi. Bizen pottery, one of Japan’s oldest ceramic traditions, originates from Bizen Province (modern-day Okayama Prefecture) and dates back over 1,000 years. Renowned for its unglazed, earthy textures and natural ash glazes, it emerged during the Heian period (794–1185) and flourished in the Momoyama period (1573–1600).
