Bizen Ware Small Bottle Vase, Yakishime Sangiri and Goma Kiln Effects, Imbe Okayama, Impressed Potter's Seal

A SMALL BOTTLE PAINTED BY FIRE

No brush and no glaze touched this vase. The colour is entirely the work of the kiln: plum-purple and red-brown on one side, deepening to charcoal grey and black on the other, with a soft olive sheen where ash melted on the shoulder. A narrow neck rises to a flat, plate-like lip. The body leans very slightly, as if it had settled in the heat. This is a small unglazed bottle vase in a Bizen-style yakishime manner, for the shelf or a single stem.

QUICK FACTS
• Type: small bottle vase / bud vase, unglazed
• Ware: hard-fired (焼き締め, yakishime) stoneware in a Bizen-style manner [Bizen unconfirmed]
• Colours: plum-purple, red-brown and charcoal grey with olive ash sheen
• Kiln effects (nearest match): sangiri-type grey-black, goma-type ash sheen
• Form: tall ovoid body, narrow neck, flat flared plate-like lip
• Marks: [describe base, seal if any]
• Origin: Japan 

WHAT IS YAKISHIME?
Yakishime (焼き締め) means "fired hard": clay fired at high temperature with no glaze and no painted decoration. Bizen ware from Imbe in Okayama is the best-known example. It uses iron-rich paddy clay (田土, tatsuchi) and is valued for its strength and its colours, which come from the kiln.

THE KILN COLOURS
In Bizen, the colour of a piece depends on where it sat in the kiln and how it was fired. Two of the best-known effects are:
• Goma (胡麻): ash from the pine firewood settles on the piece and looks like sprinkled sesame seeds, sometimes melting into a glassy sheen.
• Sangiri (桟切): pieces placed against the kiln wall are buried in ash, and the parts not touched by flame are smoked, turning grey-blue to black-brown.
The grey-black and olive tones on this vase resemble these effects. We describe the colours by what is visible and cannot confirm the kiln position.

BIZEN AND THE BOTTLE FORM
Under the protection of the Bizen domain in the Edo period, practical wares such as sake bottles and water jars were made in large numbers, and research on Bizen tea utensils finds that Bizen flower vessels were among the earliest Japanese-made flower vessels used in the tea ceremony. The bottle form has a long history in Bizen.

DISPLAY AND USE
Sold as a collectible display piece. The clay and any surface finish have not been tested, so please do not use it for food or drink. NOT FOR FOOD USE. As a vase for flowers, use a glass or plastic liner, since unglazed clay is porous. Wipe gently with a dry cloth and avoid soaking.

CONDITION AND AUTHENTICITY
Sold as an unglazed Bizen-style small bottle vase, [maker unconfirmed]. Colour variation, pits, ash sheen and a slightly leaning body are part of its character. Please review all photos and ask any question before buying.

SHIPPING
Packed in double-boxed protection with foam and paper cushioning. The neck and lip are the most fragile parts. Ships worldwide with tracking. Duties and taxes may apply on arrival.