Three-Colored Cinerary Urn

A three-colored glazed urn from the Nara period, excavated from the Nagoso Tomb along the northern bank of the Ki River in Hashimoto city, Wakayama prefecture. This container for cremated human bones was found deposited in a hollowed stone coffin in what is thought to be the grave of a local ruler. Three-colored glazes were popular in Tang China, but this urn was made domestically with that technique, probably in the Kinki district. The reddish-brown body, similar in shape to Sue-ware medicine jars from the same period, is covered with white, green, and brown glazes using techniques transmitted from China, thus offering insight into the reception of mainland technology during that time. The urn is in splendid condition and typifies Nara three-colored glazed pottery.