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context: ceramics > six ancient kilns
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a Shigaraki jar from somewhere around 1400 |
Shigaraki
This started as 'late' as the 13th Century. Again, a maker of large, practical pots. They were distinctive because of the feldspar in the clay: after firing, this left white spots or pockmarks on the surface. These white marks, known as star pattern, with the natural colours of the clay and the ash-glaze, made for lovely results, and their wares were among the first Japanese ceramics picked out by tea ceremony taste-makers in the 16th Century, so they started making smaller items especially for that market.