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)
.JPG)