CANDID

A while back, I was fortunate to handle a rather nice Shigaraki mizusashi by the late Furutani Michio and like many pots, it has found its new home. The form, illustrated in this candid shot, was coil and thrown and is a classic style pot by a potter who had an innate sense  which blended clay, form and firing to create a pot that was meant to be wood fired. In this case, the form, like a pair of stacked stones faced the fire and stood up to the fury of the flame and charcoal which painted the face in a variety of ash effects. The lugs toward the top of the pot and a few delft marks created while the wheel was spinning, add gesture and articulate the piece while the large knob on the lid beckons the viewer to pick it up. It is easy for me to get carried away looking at a pot by Furutani, he made it very easy to do so.

Though Furutani Michio did not lack for any skilled and insightful effort, when I look at his work, this quote often springs to mind; "Experience shows that success is due less to effort than to zeal. The winner is he who gives himself to his work, body and soul."  Charles Buxton (1823-1871)