Sara Sheffels, Hideo Mabuchi, Susan Roberts-Manganelli, Samantha Li

Stanford University Department of Materials Science and Cantor
Arts Center

Inspection of this ceramic jar from the Cantor Arts Center collection, an example of the sue style common in 12th century Japan, revealed several mysterious features - glossy lacquered areas, a hairline crack running all the way around the jar, tiny fibers embedded on the outside surface, grass-like plant fibers stuck on the interior floor, cloth fibers stuck to the jar, near the crack on the inside and outside surfaces, and a waxy deposit on the inside wall. Polarized light microscopy was used to identify samples of the unknown fibers, probably from the cloth that was used to apply repair materials. FTIR spectroscopy was used to identify lacquer and fiber samples, and UV spectroscopy was used to non-invasively analyze the fibers and lacquers present on the outside surface of the jar. Studying these features gave us some insight into the history of the jar, from how it was made and used to what may have happened to it during the centuries that have passed since it was created. The mix of ancient and modern materials and the distribution of fibers and lacquer around the hairline crack suggest that this jar was cracked during firing and that repairs were attempted - with urushi lacquer and potentially with poly (vinyl acetate) - at least twice in its history.