Bidspirit auction | Matsue Japanese Stoneware Tsurukubi Vase

Matsue Japanese Stoneware Tsurukubi Vase with Kairagi Glaze - A Japanese stoneware vase of tsurukubi (crane-neck) form, used as a flower vase or sake bottle found washed up on a Sutherland beach. The vessel features a bulbous, slightly compressed body that tapers into a long, slender neck. It is finished in a dark, mottled iron-rich glaze with a semi-matte texture. The primary decoration is a large, expressive application of thick, cream-colored white slip that displays a pronounced and deliberate kairagi (crawling or sharkskin) crackle effect. The lower body, near the base, features three deeply incised characters: the first two identify the city of Matsue (松江) in Shimane Prefecture, and the third is a stylized potter's mark. The unglazed foot ring reveals a coarse, dark brown stoneware body.