A vintage unglazed Bizen-yaki of Daikoku, with its ironlike hardness and gradual tones on the silken surface, is the direct result of high temperature firing in a kiln for weeks. Daikoku is the patron of farmers, the bestower of a cornucopia of abundance. Daikoku may read "Great Black" in kanji, the name of the Hindu deity Mahakala, a three-faced, six arms wrathful guardian worshiped in the Buddhist faith. He was introduced to Japan around the 15th century. The Chinese characters Daikoku are the same as the Japanese symbols for Okuni, the Shinto God of Agriculture. The two deities and their characteristics became intermingled through time. Consequently, Daikoku began to appear with a mallet and rice bales, symbols of the bountiful harvest. He is also often seen accompanied by a rat. Such associations may be because Daikoku's festival occurs on the Day of the Rat in Japan. The Bizen Yaki is signed in a gourd-shaped reserve. The signature is not translated. Overall in excellent condition.