Iga ware

Starting in the late 16th century Momoyama period, Iga ware water vases with characteristic "ear" lugs appeared.

[5] Old Iga ware, which is known as Ko-Iga, generally reflects wabi-sabi aesthetics with a rustic appearance and purposefully deformed shapes, given extra character by the addition of "ear" lugs (katamimi) and intentional gouges and dents (herame).

The mizusashi called "Broken Pouch" (破袋, yabure-bukuro) has been registered as an Important Cultural Property.

1947) who studied in the 1970s under master potter Tanimoto Mitsuo, Takemura Osamu, and Hasu Yoshitaka (蓮善隆) (b.

[15][4][16][17] Furutani Michio (古谷道生) (1946-2000) was an artist who made works not only in Iga but also Shigaraki ware, which has similarities.

[21][22][23] Modern Iga ware is known for earthen pots with a distinctive shape used in kitchens and households.

Also well-known is the Doraku kiln (土楽窯, Doraku-gama) in Marubashira, which has been in operation since seven generations and specialises in the production of donabe pots.

Vases tend to be made out of rough clay, sometimes with tiny white stones added.

In the past these were kneaded by hand, which gave it a distorted form and thus character, but later production by wheel also developed.

Instead it is fired at a very high temperature in a kiln causing it to crystallize in a reddish hue, often with brown-grey scorch marks caused by log ashes called koge, and a translucent green ash glaze from the burning wood forms.

A donabe pot has high heat capacity retention due to the quality of the clay and the thick walls.