Recently a collector friend sent me a group of vases and
several chawan to look at and identify. The pieces had been collected over a
decade of living in Japan. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was aware he had
a keen eye so I had very high hopes. The collector, primarily interested in
Nihonto, collected the pieces from 2002 to 2011 and were bought from either
gallery shows or ceramic dealers. As I began to unpack the group, I was
immediately struck by the potters and
styles. The first two unpacked were vases by Matsuzaki Ken, both exceptionally
well wood fired. The next pot was a heavily faceted Ki-Seto vase by Ando Hidetake
and the last vase an ancient looking Iga piece by Kojima Kenji with impressed
stamps on either side and a wild array of ash, including the upper portion
covered in a blanket of green ash acting as a window into the violent nature of
the firing. The two chawan didn't disappoint either, one an illustrated Shigaraki chawan by the late Furutani Michio
and a phenomenal Iga chawan with a brilliant wonky posture born out of design
and intense heat. In total, an impressive, small collection of great pots.
Illustrated is a stellar Iga chawan by Kojima Kenji. Over
three-quarters of the exterior surface is covered in cascading ash, creating
the impression of perpetual movement. The interior is also covered in ash with the
floor of the bowl having a glorious pool of brilliant green glass staring back
at the viewer. The foot and overall form has been pushed to the limit of the
intense firing and what is left is a pot that displays a timeless, medieval
attitude that is the goal of many a
potter, which few can achieve.
"I would rather be able to appreciate things I cannot
have than to have things I cannot appreciate." Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915)
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