A beautiful, haunting piece with incised decoration and wide brush strokes of white slip, hakeme. A diagonal stroke of dark glaze has been quickly applied across the form. The whole is topped by a red lacquered stopper in the shape of a peony flower. The waisted form is perfect for its use.

Karatsu-ware takes its name from the port in Kyushu that was the main entry and exit point for early communication between Japan and Korea. Following Hideyoshi's war campaigns of the 1590s against Korea, many Korean potters - initially prisoners and, later, artisan immigrants - established the karatsu-ware tradition. The work was simple and primarily for everyday use. It is karatsu-ware's very simplicity and irregularity that continues to endear it to the Japanese psyche.