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)
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