Tsubo Jar

This imposing vase, with its rough and imperfect appearance, which from a Western perspective could be dismissed as a piece without merit, evokes an almost reverence in the Japanese. Why? It is certainly not because of the symmetry of its shapes, nor because of its delicate decoration. Its beauty lies precisely in the irregularity and imperfection that define it.

Alessandro Valignano, a Jesuit missionary in 16th-century Japan, recorded his astonishment at the high value attributed to pieces such as this. In his correspondence with Rome, he reports that a local ruler showed him a small ceramic vessel considered to be very rare, a piece that the priest would have considered, at the time, only suitable for serving as a birdbath!

It was in the 16th century that the coastal village of Tokoname became famous for its production of large jars, known as tsubo. Created to store and transport cereals, these jars were moulded with clay rich in iron and fired in anagama kilns at high temperatures. This process created surfaces covered with glazes of natural ash, drips, and deformations, resulting in irregular patterns and textures, unrepeatable pieces, the result of human action and nature.

In line with the wabi-sabi aesthetic, inspired by Zen Buddhism, these jars reflect a philosophy deeply rooted in all Japanese people which finds beauty in simplicity and imperfection, valuing the transience of existence and the connection to nature.