Antique Japanese Tsubo Jar with High Relief Crab Design

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A Japanese stoneware tsubo (storage jar) circa 19th century (Meiji period), likely made in one of the Shigaraki or Echizen … Read more A Japanese stoneware tsubo (storage jar) circa 19th century (Meiji period), likely made in one of the Shigaraki or Echizen kilns. The jar has a thick robust body, and a short-neck rimmed mouth with deep groove. It was hand-coil built from a coarse clay, fired to an iron-rich deep earthy color. The surface is partially covered with a thick ash glaze that is splashed and pooled on one side of the upper part of the body and drips down in streaks/ The lower body and the base shows unglazed reddish clay. A highly unusual feature of this jar is that on its shoulder, quite unexpectedly, there is a high-relief sculpture of a sand crab, beautifully rendered in a realistic fashion. With the meticulous molding, sculpturing and glazing, the little creature appears visually embedded in its surrounding that was made to resemble sandy dirt as if it was just crawling out of its hidden place. The decoration was creative and genuinely smart, giving the sense of an accidental encounter when one views the jar.
The high-relief decoration technique itself is not unusual in Japanese ceramic-making. For instance, applied high relief ornaments is the main feature found on the heavily glazed Sumida ware. However, it is rare to see such method applied in unglazed stoneware such as Shigaraki or Echizen. The realistic rendition of the sand crab indicates that the work was likely made in the second half of the 19th century during Meiji instead of Edo period. Artist Makuzu Kozan (1842-1916), for instance, in his early career, developed a stunning output of high-relief sculptural work (1876-1881) known as Takauki ware. Although this tsubo was unlikely from his studio, it shares a similar spirit in its artistic method and aspiration.
Tsubos were used as storage jar for tea leaves or various types of liquor. Although unitarian by nature, the tea masters in Edo period highly appreciated their earthy wabi-sabi spirit thus elevated them to cherished collectibles. See less