Moriage

Moriage is a special type of raised decoration used on some Japanese pottery. Sometimes pieces of clay were shaped by hand and applied to the item; sometimes the clay was squeezed from a tube the way we apply cake frosting. One type of moriage is called Dragonware by collectors. Moriage pieces were often unmarked and were known for their highly stylized decorations and gilding. For more information, explore our identification guides for moriage and other Japanese pottery and ceramic decorations.