Large Japanese-Style Studio Pottery Vase, Charcoal Matte Glaze, Olive-Brown Poured Bands, Amber Interior, Incised Signature

GREY GLAZE, THREE BRUSHSTROKES OF OLIVE

The vase is large and round, with a short, flared neck and a wide shoulder. Its glaze is a matte, slate grey with a faint blue frost, and across it three broad bands of olive-brown glaze run down from the shoulder in free, confident curves. Look inside and the colour changes to a warm, speckled amber. Turn it over and a cursive signature has been carved into the clay before it was glazed and fired, the glaze pooling softly in the grooves. This is a large Japanese-style studio pottery vase for the floor, a table or an alcove.

QUICK FACTS
• Type: large round vase / jar, glazed
• Exterior glaze: matte slate grey with a bluish cast; three olive-brown poured or brushed bands
• Interior glaze: speckled amber-brown
• Body: pale grey clay, visible on the foot ring
• Forming: wheel-thrown, with horizontal throwing lines
• Signature: cursive, incised into the clay before glazing [reading pending]
• Origin: Japan 

THE GLAZES
The grey exterior resembles an iron-rich black glaze, which can fire matte and slate-toned when left to cool slowly in the kiln. The olive-brown bands are poured or brushed glaze, a decorating technique used at more than fifty pottery centres across Japan. The amber interior resembles ame-yū (飴釉), an ash-and-iron glaze that fires from yellow to reddish brown. We describe the glazes by what is visible and have not confirmed their composition.

THE CLAY AND ITS ORIGIN
The foot ring shows a pale grey, fine-grained clay. Shigaraki clay is coarse and refractory, well suited to large, thick pieces, and fires to pale yellow, pink or red-brown tones. The potter's collectors sometimes look for white feldspar grains and stone-burst holes in unglazed Shigaraki. We cannot say from the photographs whether this vase is Shigaraki, so we describe it as Japanese-style studio pottery.

THE SIGNATURE
A cursive signature is incised under the glaze inside the foot. We have not read it and do not claim a maker.

DISPLAY NOTE
Sold as a decorative vase. The glaze has not been tested for lead or other substances, so we do not recommend using it for food or drink. NOT FOR FOOD USE. If used for flowers, use a liner and check for hairlines before adding water.

CONDITION AND AUTHENTICITY
Sold as a Japanese-style studio pottery vase, [maker and origin unconfirmed]. The inside lip and rim show small pale flakes of glaze [describe]. Glaze pooling, speckles and surface variation 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, with extra padding around the neck and rim. Ships worldwide with tracking. Duties and taxes may apply on arrival.