Jar with Four Lugs

Shimaoka Tatsuzō belonged to a group of twentieth-century Japanese ceramicists who described themselves as practitioners of mingei, or folk art. Inspired by the historical wares that were made for everyday use by anonymous potters, modern mingei artists strove to create objects that were beautiful despite being handmade from humble materials.

This jar illustrates Shimaoka’s signature technique: pressing rough cords against the wet clay surface to create a striated texture. We can see that the pot was laid on its side when fired; four marks show where it was supported on blocks in the kiln, and light-green ash glaze landed on the opposite side. When the jar stands upright, the ash glaze seems to defy gravity by dripping sideways.