I have resolved myself to the fact that there will always be
those Japanese pots that will remain unidentified. Sometimes it is as simple as
not being able to read the cursive script on the box or being unable to
identify a personal mark or seal. Other times, the pot arrives without a box
and/or a mark obscurred by a layer of glaze. The illustrated large o-sara oribe
tray form is just such an example of the later, no box, covered mark. I first
came in contact with this piece about 5 or 6 years ago, I was struck by the
strong form and wonderful visual texture skillfully glazed in an Oribe glaze.
The way in which the glaze is applied makes full use of the crumbly texture and
the quality clay, the tsuchi-aji ( flavor of the earth), shows through here and
there as intended by the potter. The
clay appears to be a mix of Mino mogusa and Shigaraki clays, with most of the
feldspar picked out of the mix before use.
This o-sara is very skillfully manipulated, textured, glazed
and fired, though the maker remains a mystery, an enigma. It has qualities of
Tsujimura Shiro, though I am unaware of an Oribe pieces of this style made by
him. It also reminds me of the textured tray forms of Takeuchi Shugo that he
creates by rolling out slabs and beating them with broken tree limbs, I even
see elements of early Suzuki Goro. I am just not sure who made this piece,
though that in no way detracts from the quality of the pot and the timeless
pressence that it pocesses.
"By nature's kindly disposition most questions which it
is beyond a man's power to answer do not occur to him at all." George Santayana (1863-1952)
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