A Japanese ceramic storage jar (tsubo), which has collapsed in the kiln during firing. While this type of broken jar (yabure) would generally have been thrown away they came to be prized for their unusual form and rustic beauty. Vases such as this example became quite popular in Japan in a tradition referred to as mitate, a custom often seen in the tea ceremony where an item, often no longer prized for its first intended use is adopted and reused in a new fashion. Such pieces often being adopted by ikebana practitioners for flower arrangements.
19th-20th century
17" wide x 9" deep x 10½" high
