Friday, January 3, 2014

UTILITARIAN ELEGANCE

Illustrated is a rather simple and practical gosu glazed covered serving bowl by Kawai Takeichi. As one would expect, having spent a long while under the tutelage of Kawai Kanjiro, this piece based in total function has a utilitarian elegance in both design and execution. The knob was made to both compliment the form/lid as well as to be easy to grasp and pleasant to the eye, the flange around the area where the lid sits serves as an area that fits the hand well as a built in handle all around the form. It is these conscious and unconscious developments that are seen in many Kawai school pots that create a distinct look which is easily identifiable as the works of the master and his students. There is an undisputed brilliance to the forms and surfaces of Kawai Kanjiro which he passed on to his students by sheer fact that they were surrounded by his work, both finished and in progress; a great student, sees the work and has most of his questions answered for him of which Kawai Takeichi was certainly among the most accomplished.