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 when they are excavated.
View the original at Cleveland Museum of Art →Article 1 sets a purpose larger than preservation: to preserve cultural properties AND to make use of them, contributing to the cultural advancement of the people and to the progress of world culture. Article 4 turns that outward. An owner must recognise the object as a precious national asset, preserve it for the public, and make it public as far as possible. Ownership here carries a duty to show.
The cool part. "Living National Treasure" appears nowhere in the statute. Article 71 requires that when an Important Intangible Cultural Property is designated, the minister must also certify its holder or holding group. Japan does not register the pot, it registers the potter. Article 96 is the one that reaches ordinary people: if you uncover a shell mound, a dwelling site or a tumulus, you must leave it exactly as it is and notify the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs without delay, and the Commissioner can freeze the ground for up to three months.
Verify at e-Gov 法令検索 →Use it Two-colour foil on uncoated stock gets you most of this at production cost.
Description source: museum curator text — not generated