Earthenware flower vase. Square, four-sided vase with a round mouth and foot, decorated with a polychrome floral design in relief. It has black, squared-off ridges along all four corners, and a square shoulder and base. Inside the flowers, which are green, blue, and red, are shippo mon shapes. Thus, the flowers represent imaginary flowers (termed 'karahana', meaning 'Chinese flower'). The flowers are very stylised, in symmetrical formal shapes with leaves and tendrils. The flowers are in relief set against a brown ground. This shape of vase is derived from Chinese forms, but is now quite common in Japan.
