Japanese stoneware vase with crackled white glaze, Akashi Kinsen (明石錦泉) brand

A Japanese stoneware vase with a highly sculptural presence, constructed on a dense and deliberately irregular body, extended by a short neck with a thickened lip. Two applied handles, modeled as ridges, are placed symmetrically at the shoulder and fully contribute to the silhouette.

The surface is covered with a very thick white glaze, applied in layers, with a wide and clearly visible crackle pattern that accentuates the textural effect. On the rim, above each handle, two reddish-brown stains mark the lip: a concentrated iron deposit from the firing process, more akin to a fire effect than a painted decoration.

At the base, on the side, is a square stamp with four characters arranged in a 2x2 pattern, legible as "明石 / 錦泉" (Akashi Kinsei/Kinsen). This mark refers to the regional kiln "明石錦泉窯" (Akashi Kinsen / Kinsei-gama), in Akashi, Hyōgo Prefecture, which was active from Taishō 9 (1920) to Shōwa 32 (1957). The same sources attribute the kiln's opening to the potter Kumakichi Shiromizu and specify that it closed in 1957.

Dimensions: height 23 cm; width 17 cm; depth 16 cm.