Fire-flame Cooking Vessel (Ka'en Doki)
Archaeologists call this kind of vessel “fire flame,” ka’en in Japanese, because its top resembles flames. No one knows why the design was made or what it actually represents. This example is remarkable for the amount that is original. It was recently determined that a bottom from a different vessel was used during its reconstruction in the 1900s, creating a false impression of its intended scale; it would have initially been about four inches shorter. Since their lower portions were set into holes in the ground during use, bases of pots like this one often deteriorate and may be missing wh...
Details
- Palette
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Select a color to find related artworks.
- Dimensions
- diameter: width 0.558 m; height: height 0.61 m
- Department
- Japanese Art
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image provider
- cleveland-museum-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- John L. Severance Fund
Art Genome Taxonomy
8 tags
Visual Qualities
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Highly Ornamented Visual · 98%
The visible surface is densely covered with carved lines, raised scrollwork, applied bands, ribbing, and an elaborate projecting rim.
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Curvilinear Forms Visual · 97%
Sinuous scrolls, looping relief lines, curling projections, and undulating contours dominate the visible body and upper structure.
Medium and Techniques
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Carving Both · 94%
The museum specifies carved decoration, while the image visibly shows incised and modeled surface work throughout the vessel.
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Intricately Sculpted Visual · 91%
The vessel’s ornament is built from complex raised and incised forms, producing a deeply articulated, sculptural exterior.
Time Periods
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Ancient Art Metadata · 98%
The catalog dates the object to circa 2500 BCE, placing it within the ancient-art period category.
Geographic Regions
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Japanese Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog identifies Japan as the place of origin and classifies the work within Japanese Art.
Materials
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Ceramic Both · 99%
The museum classifies the work as Ceramic and describes its medium as earthenware with carved and applied decoration; the image shows a fired clay vessel with a matte, granular surface.
Tableware, Vessels, and Objects
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Vessel Both · 99%
The catalog identifies the object as a cooking vessel, and the image clearly shows a hollow container with a defined body, open interior, and rim.
Source & rights
Unknown artist. Fire-flame Cooking Vessel (Ka'en Doki). Cleveland Museum of Art.