The swirling, dynamic appearance of the rim of this bowl is one of the most recognizable characteristics of wares from Japan’s oldest-known civilization. Although most Jōmon containers were cooking vessels, the wildly irregular rim of this type seems unsuitable for practical use and may instead have served a ritual function. Built with coils of clay smoothed by hand and with paddles, the bowl has a dramatically simpler lower body that was impressed with a rough cord before being fired in an open pit.