National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

This lidded cylindrical container is a sutra case that was buried in a sutra mound (J., kyozuka). The body is slightly tapered towards the bottom with a pair of raised lines surrounding the upper, middle, and lower surface of the body. It has a flat base. The lid is shaped like a shallow bowl with a foot. Green glaze covers the whole body except the inner surface of the bottom. The lid is glazed both inside and outside. It is a rare example of green-glazed ware made during the 10th and 11th centuries. There is only one extant example of a similar kind, made in the Sanage kiln, Aichi Prefecture.