Monday, September 30, 2013

BLUE MONDAY XIV

I would think that this vase is probably not something one sees every day. A bit formal and precise in the throwing, this double walled and reticulated vessel is a nice early work by the late Kato Takuo. Resembling a medieval tiled wall, this Persian glazed vase was hand engraved and pierced to create a statement about the possibilities and influences of such pottery. The addition of gold leaf applied under the glaze speaks to an earlier age of opulence from which the archetypes of this pot spring from. Though an earlier work by Kato, the pot certainly shows the exceptional control and manipulation of clay, glaze and firing that he is well known. In this piece, one can clearly see the promise of more to come together with a more relaxed and spirited aesthetic that he was working toward, day after day and year after year.