Image 1 of 2
IIIF

Terms of Use

Usage Conditions Apply

At A Glance

  • Period

    ca. 3000-2500 BCE
  • Geography

    Togariishi site, Nagano prefecture, Japan
  • Material

    Unglazed earthenware
  • Dimension

    H x W x D: 50.2 x 31.7 x 31.7 cm (19 3/4 x 12 1/2 x 12 1/2 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1974.5
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1974.5

Object Details

  • Description

    Jar said to come from Togariishi, Nagano-ken.
    Slightly flaring beaker shape rounding to flat base; a sculptural projection with holes which could fit fingers on plain roll rim. Hand-built, probably coil-made. Lightweight, medium thickness. Extensive repair; the inside shows clearly that the piece was reassembled from many pieces.
    Clay: low-fired, red, soft and coarse; darker and grayer toward top, some blackened areas. Heavily tempered, white fleck inclusions (not mica).
    Glaze: none.
    Decoration: Applied ridges around vessel below rim and continuing either straight down or diagonally with hooked ends, grooved and notched with stick or other tool in various patterns (e.g. herringbone). Entire remaining surface is divided in abstract pattern panels, geometric straight-sided and diagonal forms combined with curved lines and some scrolls. Within the panels defined by parallel lines there is vertical, diagonal or horizontal parallel hatching or a combination. The highly decorative coiling sculptural projection on rim has holes which could make it functional as handle. Plain and well-smoothed inside.
  • Collection

    Freer Gallery of Art Collection
  • Exhibition History

    Japanese Ceramics: from Past to Present (February 18, 1983 to December 16, 1984)
    Japanese Ceramics from Past to Present (February 18, 1983 to February 16, 1984)
    A Decade of Discovery: Selected Acquisitions 1970-1980 (November 9, 1979 to May 22, 1980)
    Japanese Ceramics (April 11, 1978 to January 17, 1980)
    Harold P. Stern Memorial Exhibition (April 18, 1977 to September 13, 1977)
  • Origin

    Togariishi site, Nagano prefecture, Japan
  • Culture

    Jomon culture, ca. 10,500–ca. 300 BCE
  • Credit Line

    Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
  • Type

    Vessel
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

    There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

    The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring