Small jar with three-color glaze

This vase has an extended shoulder, short upright neck and a wide mouth. The body gradually narrows from the shoulder toward the base. The foot is short and widens at the bottom. The body is dappled with a tricolored glaze of green, light brown and white. The inside is glazed in pale green. The so-called “Nara tricolored ware” was produced in imitation of T’ang Dynasty ware which had been produced in China and brought into Japan. A description of the method of producing tricolored ware can be found in the documents stored in the Shoso-in, where fifty-seven such pieces are preserved. Due to the low-temperature firing and because this was once buried underground, the vase is a little chipped and the cover is lost.