Illustrated
is the Sakakura Shinbei XII chawan that I mentioned in the previous post. What
always strikes me at first glance is that it exudes a comforting warmth and
earthiness, it is like it converses the truth of what it is to be Hagi. The bowl
to foot ratio and height speak of practiced perfection and a thorough understanding
of the needs and use in chanoyu creating an ideal form for the eye and hand.
There is a remarkable luminosity to the piece, created by the quality reddish
daido clay cloaked in a thin slip with the translucent glaze over creating a
tremendous depth to the surface and painting it's comforting afterglow. I find it
very interesting that three of his chawan are in the Museum of Modern Art, when
I look at his work, I see the quiet and timeless nature of a chawan that is at
home in the 17th century as it is a museum's showcase today.
(Used with the kind permission of a private collector)
.JPG)