ME, MYSELF AND I

I recently completed, packed and shipped out an order for a set of pots that arrived the other day to the client. I received an odd email upon receipt; nothing about condition, how it was received but rather, they were curious how many people I had working for me. At issue, the source of confusion, which is all my fault is the presence of two distinct marks, the small eclipsed moon for Albedo Studio and the CB I use to identify me as the maker. I assured them that other than Jun the ever helpful studio assistant cat, I had only three people working for me; me, myself and I. I further explained that I use both stamps without any real rhyme or reason, but tend to use the moon mark on smaller pots or pieces that I only want a small interruption in the surface which included the thrown style slab plates. The order consisted of 4 smaller thrown slab plates (11" x 5"), 4 larger ones (15" x 7"), 4 sauce bowls, four soup bowls, 8 guinomi and 4 tokkuri all glazed in the Oribe and intended as a sushi/ sashimi set. Once the issue of employment was all cleared up, the new owners related they were very pleased with the set and it was to be used that evening. I am glad I didn't tell them, I use two other stamps occasionally on the terra cotta pieces or they may have thought I had even more people working in my small studio, it might get a bit crowded as at times there is barely enough room for kilns, wheel, shelves and tables, let alone wet and drying pots or more people.

EARLY ON

At first glance, I wasn't sure what this chawan was; I thought I was looking at one of those early Showa period pieces that was made in imitation of the late Edo and Meiji period Oribe chawan. It had that crackaleur style whitish opaque glaze and shiny rich green. To my surprise, it turned out to be a chawan, a very early chawan by Suzuki Goro. Made in the early 1970s, this piece shows the free and loose style of throwing he is so well known for together with spontaneous brushwork and casual glazing. The foot, though just a bit stiff, has the glint of things to come in terms of Suzuki's handling of kodai today and all in all, it is a solid pot, early on in the career of one of the most popular potters in Japan today. I can only imagine it would feel great in the hand or look fine just hanging out.

AT THE DOOR

As I have mentioned before, I rarely know what will be coming my way with any advanced notice. Someone will call and say, do you think you could try to move this or that for me or sometimes, a package just arrives at the door. That was the case on Friday, while working in the studio, the UPS pulls up into the drive and the next thing you know, I am looking at a large box. I look to see who it is from and carry it upstairs to open it, though not before a quick phone call to the sender. That out of the way, I open the package to a neat Tani Seiemon Shigaraki cylinder vase and an Oribe bamboo form vase by Sato Kazuji. On Saturday I photographed the pieces and put them up on my Trocadero marketplace along with a mizusashi by Karatsu master potter, Tanaka Sajiro which arrived earlier in the week. It is rare to know what will be coming in, but usually, I know that something is on its way.

Illustrated is the E-Garatsu mizusashi by Tanaka Sajiro and it and the other pieces can be seen by going to my Trocadero website;

http://www.trocadero.com/stores/albedo3studio/catalog/query.php

SHINO TSUBO

Illustrated is a rich black ink calligraphy for the kanji, TSUBO by Ningen Kokuho for Shino pottery; Suzuki Osamu (b. 1934). Unlike those of Kato Tokuro, this tsubo is brushed in a more direct and literal manner in which the character is easily read and closer to the ideal than some I have seen. Though easily read, it is animated and expressive and glimpses the nature of the tsubo in a classical and purposeful manner. Over the years I have seen a thousand or more calligraphies by potters for the kanji, tsubo and it has become very clear that you can usually see a direct correlation between the potters ink and his clay, this shikishi is no exception.

ITS IS WEDNESDAY, AFTER ALL

This particular cycle is going rather slowly between getting some packages packed up and trying to plan out a full kiln load of orders and pieces that I have just decided to make to explore an idea. One piece of advice I was given many years ago is that to be productive, it helps to have a plan when you sit at the wheel. Without a plan, the wheel spins, the clay goes from lump to cylinder and then what; that seems to be the order of the day and it is Wednesday, after all. It is not that I could just make stuff that I have a muscle memory for, it is simply that I am working on ideas that need a certain amount of flexibility and looseness to them, tools I am not in the best possession of. I would rather take a little extra time and get things worked out within my general diabolical plan as in the end, I think I will be all the happier for it.

While struggling with the clay this week, there are a number of things that spring to mind like a mobius loop; from pots, music, books, TV and movies. This short routine by Abbott & Costello is one of them and relates to the average potter, probably more than anyone can know. Enjoy.

ITOMAKI HACHI

Illustrated is a group of three Shino hachi decorated with underglaze iron and vivid over glaze enamels imitating itomaki, thread spools. These classic plates were made and designed by the 20th century master, Kitaoji Rosanjin. The simple construction and form of the hachi is well articulated with the under and over glaze techniques and as always, Rosanjin had the pieces in use in mind, prior to making them. For Rosanjin, the raison d'etre for pottery was their performance and use for food, flower arrangement, etc. and these plates are no different. I have seen these plates in use for crispy tempura, vivid crimson maguro sashimi and various sushi over the years. They are as delightful in use as they are in the "waiting" state. Each plate is finished with a vivid red enamel "RO" square on the bottoms.

"The finest food is light and plain in flavor, just as the finest antiques are those of simple lines." Kitaoji Rosanjin (1883-1959)

(Photo used with the kind permission of a private collector and exceptional chef.)

FIRST THINGS FIRST

I have been thinking about making a style of vase that I am rather fond of, it springs from Iga-yaki as well as those Mino-Iga pots. It has been quite some time since I have made this style of vase and I thought this form should work well with the newest version of my Oribe. The first few attempts didn't really work out as well as I was hoping and it took some thought as to why. Having what I thought was a better way to go about things, I set about doing first things first. I wedged up some clay and once centered, I first threw what would be the upper, neck/mouth portion of the vase and cut it off the hump; then with the remaining clay, I threw the base of the pot. Once thrown, I paddled the base to create a vivid texture and then attached the neck. Once together, I set about further distorting the body and the mouth, followed by the addition of two thick ring lugs. Illustrated is a pair of stoneware vases, about 12"  and 15" tall, both freshly cut off the wheel-head. I have a few more things to do to each once they stiffen up a bit, but I am nearly finished. I like doing as much of the work as possible while the pot is still wet and fresh, a technique I first saw during a demo by Ron Meyers. It forces a certain spontaneity and keeps the pieces from being over worked, lest things get well out of hand.

A PITCHER IS WORTH 1000 WORDS

At just under 20 inches tall, it is an imposing pitcher, yet in the hand, one can easily imagine it filled to the brim and still easy to use and pour. Glazed in shino and ash, it has a simple, understated warmth and comforting quality that comes from making lots of pots and even more pitchers. Trained at the Leach Pottery, Bill Klock made this pitcher based on his love for old medieval English pots and pots from the East. The pot was thrown with function, durability and aesthetics all in mind and the cylindrical body is finished with a hardy and sturdy spout and a well pulled and applied handle. In its austerity and simplicity, it is quiet and noble yet it is the type of pot, like a good book or a favorite coat, that has companionship and a long term relationship at its core.

Take a moment and enjoy watching a video of Bill pulling a handle and finishing off a jug made at Plattsburgh State University in the ceramic department back in 1992/93.

KARATSU-KODAI

To my eye, this is no ordinary kodai. Though simple, it has a studied complexity that harkens back to Ko-Karatsu style pottery; the chirimen-kodai, crinkled silk crepe texture, immediately identifies the pot as Karatsu ware, a common trait among southern works(Kyushu-mono). The classic and timeless kodai is crisp and sharply cut, the texture standing out from within the kodai creating a wonderful visual landscaped microcosm. The foot-ring bares the marks of the cut-off cord, that separates the bowl from the wheel head, adding to the swift and spontaneous nature in which the kodai was addressed. This foot was cut by Tanaka Sajiro (b.1937), a master of Karatsu-yaki whose works show a life dedicated to the study of this regional pottery. Tanaka is a man of many talents having studied Zen Buddhism, chanoyu, ikebana, calligraphy, poetry and of course pottery making. Having excavated Ko-Karatsu kiln sites, he studied the manner of their manufacture and firing, in this way, started on the path to making Karatsu-yaki. There are few potters as adept and thoughtful in their creation of Karatsu ware as Tanaka and his kodai are among the very finest.

TETSU-GUCHI

Illustrated is a detail from a large iron and temmoku glazed vase that was from my last firing.  What I like most about this particular glaze is that it manifests differing characteristics in texture depending on thickness and varying angles and edges of a pot. Along the interior and exterior of the neck, the glaze has created a myriad of partridge feather style streaks while where it has pooled on the mouth and ridge just below, it creates wonderful little whirlpools of texture. The body of the vase has streaking similar to the neck but is punctuated at intervals with temmoku spots showing through the iron glaze creating its own unique pattern, both ring lugs have fired to a reddish hue with the bulk of the glaze running off them creating cascades down either side under the appendages. Having a real fondness for rather runny glazes, I have yet to see two pieces come out exactly the same and am reasonably sure that I won't any time soon.

SUMI-TOKKURI

Illustrated is a shikishi by Ningen Kokuho, Kato Kozo of a delightful Shino tokkuri with a mountain, grasses and plover design. This tokkuri, rendered in soft washes of ink may have been a representational study of one of his works or just a quick and spontaneous drawing of a piece from his mind's eye. Either way, it captures the essential beauty of Momoyama influenced, modern Shino at its very core.

A HISTORY REVEALED

 

I have always been interested in the history of the pots that I admire and study, that is to say, the historical context of how they came in to being, the creative spirit and the times that drives the potter. I am also fascinated by the history, the path the pot takes from its inception to the present day and with a number of pots, the provenance is well documented while other times, almost nothing is known about how it got to this moment in time. Over the years I have tried to play pottery detective and find out as much as I could about specific pots. From time to time, I would piece together provenance with catalogues that would arrive and shed some light on various aspects of the piece. Given the sheer number of pots an average potter creates, I am constantly surprised at the number of pieces that I have been able to identify through inclusion in both books and catalogues.

I guess I should get to the point and mention that about two months ago, I came in contact with a large and bold faceted vase by Shigaraki veteran, Kohyama Yasuhisa. As soon as I saw the piece, I had this sense that it was special and took the opportunity to email Kohyama-san to ask about the piece. A couple of days later, I received a response from Nakamoto Wakae, Kohyama's assistant detailing what sensei had remembered about the piece. He knew it was from the early 1970's but didn't have any additional info at that time. Now, two months later, I receive another email with a bit more information regarding the vase and a very important photo. The photo shows Kohyama-san and celebrated calligrapher, Toko Shinoda (b. 1913) who is this year celebrating her 100th birthday, in the back corner of the photo the large mentori-hanaire is shown. This picture is from the 1973 Tokyo Mitsukoshi exhibit in which a number famous figures attended his show; including Shinoda, Hamada Shoji and Kato Tokuro. Kohyama-san had, prior to this exhibit worked with Toko Shinoda in helping her produce a large architectural mural and in turn, she came to see his works from the first anagama built and fired in the Shigaraki Valley since the middle ages.

About the pot, at over 17" tall, the massive octagonal pot has a rather dramatic presence and commands its space with a distinctly positive authority. The rough and coarse surface is littered with feldspar bits melting out of the clay while the playful blend of fire color and various ash coatings articulate the pot and define the myriad of marks created during the faceting process. The mouth terminates in the trademark style of Kohyama-san and the lip is defined by a direct and spontaneous cut that since this pot was made, has been perfected over countless pieces. On the shoulder of the pot, there is a resisted shadow of clay color (botamochi), surrounded by ash from where a small round pot, a guinomi possibly, was fired to make best use of the limited space in the anagama kiln. I can not thank Kohyama-san enough for sending along the picture and information as it helps put the piece into context. I find it extremely satisfying to be able to reveal the history of some of these pieces but I am constantly aware that doing so has little to do with just dedicated footwork, is as often times absolute serendipity as it is anything else.

(Photo by Takeshi Fujimori courtesy of Kohyama Yasuhisa)

COPPER EFFECTS

In my most recent glaze firing, the aim was to test out my latest Oribe glaze that is not based on the extinct lepidolite. I was able to make up 7000 gr. and able to glaze pots over 16" tall without the machinations necessary with the lepidolite version. The latest version has copper carbonate, a small amount of well milled black copper oxide and an equal amount of red iron to temper the glaze a bit. Unlike the lepidolite version, which has wonderful halo like effects, iridescence and rich pooling, the latest version has a very interesting if unpredictable pooling of a blue-green moss like effect where the pot is flat or where the glaze has built up to an increased thickness. What this effect does to the table is its ability to bring various marks and artifice to life and helps articulate the pot. Illustrated is the flange and lid of an Oribe style jar with impressed decorations around the pot. The high points and various marks are highlighted by the blue-green texture while the high points remain green. I think it adds a visual interest to the pot, though unintended and not totally controllable, it is welcome none the less.

More pictures of this jar can be seen on my Trocadero market place;

http://www.trocadero.com/stores/albedo3studio/items/1198793/item1198793store.html