Shinano River basin, Niigata Prefecture, Japan

Flame-Style Deep Pot (Kaen Doki) of the Middle Jōmon Period

2082

Middle Jōmon Period (Chūki Jōmon), c. 3000–2000 BCE

A flame-style deep pot (kaen doki) of the Middle Jōmon Period, produced approximately 3000–2000 BCE in the Shinano River basin of Niigata Prefecture. The vessel features a cylindrical flat-based body that widens progressively upward into a dramatic rim zone with four upward-projecting, flame-like sculptural peak groups interspersed with large circular loop handles. Continuous sweeping relief ridges descend the body in rhythmic interlocking curves, framing panels densely textured with cord-impressed jōmon marks. Large circular perforations pierced through the clay wall add visual lightness to the otherwise solid, massive rim zone. The depth of the sculptural rim projections, the pronounced undercuts beneath the flaring peaks, and the circular perforations create intense physical three-dimensionality; under hearth or directional lighting, these deep voids cast strong shadows while the rounded ridges catch reflected light, producing dynamic chiaroscuro across the rotating flame-like form.