Wednesday, February 6, 2013

YOU KNOW ME?

Illustrated is a simple yunomi, eminently practical and thoroughly useful made by Tsukigata Nahiko. It is this type of direct and unfettered work that helps glimpse into the true nature of the potter. Though best known for his Oni-Shino and Oni-Iga works, Tsukigata was quite adept at a wide variety of styles which included Ki-Seto, Shigaraki, Hagi and Kohihi wares. This Hagi style yunomi is made in one of his classic forms he used for gunomi, yunomi and even chawan and the surface landscape is highly animated with varying shades of color, ishihaze and crackled slip about the piece. The tall foot accentuates the vertical nature of the form and it is easy to see the piece in hand and in use as it was intended. Though simple in form and execution, it seems to me that the simplest of things are usually bound up in a maze of complexity.