Jōmon period 14,00BC to about 300BC

The term jōmon means "cord-marked" in Japanese which gives the period its name. The pottery of the whole period has been classified by archaeologists into some 70 styles. American scholar Edward S. Morse discovered the first evidence of Jomon pottery in 1877 Jomon is named for the cord-marked patterns found on much of the pottery produced during this time.

The earliest vessels were mostly smallish round-bottomed bowls 10-50 cm high that are assumed to have been used for boiling food

Middle Jomon During the middle Jomon period (2500-1500 BCE), pottery reached a high degree of creativity. The basic form remained the straight-sided cooking or storage jar, but the rim now took on spectacular, flamboyant shapes. Some designs may have had specific meanings, but the lavishly creative vessels also display a playful artistic spirit.

This dynamic, three-dimensional form with linear sweeping designs and lively details was created during the Middle Jōmon period, 2500–1500 BCE

The small size of this bottle and its relatively simple, compact profile exemplify Late Jomon ceramic-making trends, which reveal a declining interest in sculptural embellishment and elaborate decoration in favor of greater integration of ornamentation and form. The thin walls of the bottle indicate improvements made in potting methods. Flanking the shoulders and lower section are two sets of apertures, through which a thin cord could be threaded to suspend the container.