Jar

This vessel dates to the Yayoi period, a time when full-scale wet-rice cultivation began in Japan. As this grain became the staple of daily life, pottery forms evolved to meet new culinary and storage needs. Wide-mouthed jars (kame) were used for cooking and boiling, while tall-footed dishes were employed for serving food and various jars for storage purposes. Yayoi pottery was fired at higher temperatures than that of the preceding Jōmon culture, resulting in deeper reddish hues and harder textures. Because these vessels served as containers for liquid and grains, they were also used as offerings in tombs, being painted in iron or mercurial red to indicate this sacred function.