Ancient Japanese Storage Jar

Wabi Sabi Masterpiece. A Rare large Stoneware Storage Jar with Natural Ash Glaze. Japan, Tokoname ware, Muromachi period, 14th Century, height: 22" tall (including a wooden square stand)
As typical of early Tokoname ware, it was fired with coiled clay which resulted in a very thick wall and it is very heavy. As shown on the pictures, it came out of the kiln with warped shape as well as various blemishes such as bursted glaze bubbles, adhere shards, kiln cracks, and uneven base.
Provenance: An Old Generational Japanese Family.

" This jar has been in our family collection since early 1930s. We are a family known for one of our famous ancestors, Rai San’yō.”
Rai San'yō (Japanese: 頼 山陽; 21 January 1780, Aki Province – 16 October 1832, Kyoto) was a Japanese Confucianist philosopher, historian, artist and poet of the later Edo period. His true name was Rai Noboru.
He was born to a samurai family of the Hiroshima Domain. His father, Rai Shunsui, was a respected Neo-Confucian teacher.[2] His mother, Baisi, was a poet of some note. He first studied humanities with his uncles, who were notable Neo-Confucian scholars.

“The jar was acquired by my grandfather who was very active in the tea ceremony circles in Kyoto area before the War. It was mostly used for flower arrangements or as a stand alone decoration at the entry foyer."
It measures 22” in height. As typical of early Tokoname ware, it was fired with coiled clay which resulted in a very thick wall and it is very heavy. As shown on the pictures, it came out of the kiln with warped shape as well as various blemishes such as bursted glaze bubbles, adhere shards, kiln cracks, and uneven base, etc. Other than some surface painting to obscure kiln cracks, there is no restoration.
Offered by J R Richards
Los Angeles. Ancient & Antique Contemporary Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and African Ceramics and Pottery.