This is a 14-inch tall handmade Raku fired pottery vase urn with a lid. It features a multicolor iridescent finish with natural wood colors. The material used is clay, and the piece is signed. The backstamp is incised on the item. Raku ceramic cremation urn is crafted in the shape of a classic style vase with a top-opening lid. In Raku firing, a traditional and ancient Japanese firing process, each piece of pottery is taken from the kiln red hot, the molten glaze silken and glowing. It is then placed in a bed of straw or leaves in an air-tight container. The dry plant material immediately bursts into flame and the ?reduction chamber? is sealed. The flame and the smoking, oxygen starved atmosphere transform the glaze surface creating the unique, seemingly ancient, colors and textures of Raku. Since each Imperial Raku urn is special and one-of-a-kind, please allow for slight variations in color, texture, and size.