Sue (ceramics style)

Refers to a style of gray stoneware manufactured from the 5th to the 10th centuries. Originating in the southern part of the Korean peninsula, the style immigrated to Japan in the 5th and 6th centuries, where it was called iwaibe doki or Chosen doki, until the 1950s. The style is characterized by the production of coil-made vessels fired at temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees centigrade (1,832 degrees Fahrenheit) resulting in a gray color. Sue wares are typically unglazed except for the natural ash glaze occurring during the firing process and decorated with simple combed or punctate designs. In the Hein period (794-1185), productions included new glazed versions using native ash glaze and green or three-color glazing techniques.