Based on Longquan glazes developed in China during the
Sung Dynasty (1127-1297), celadon glazes have played an important role in the
pottery of Japan especially during the studio movement of the Meiji Period.
Indirectly, Suzuki Sansei (b. 1936) is related to that movement through his
master Kawamura Seizan (1890-1967) who served as a bridge between the old and
the contemporary. Through his study with Kawamura, Suzuki Sansei learned the
skills and technology of modern celadon along with an array of other techniques,
though he choose to dedicate his work to the cool blue seiji glazes on
porcelain which he is best known for. Illustrated is a classic example of
pottery by Suzuki Sansei, most likely made in the mid-1990's. The form is
glazed in a pale blue seiji, almost robin's egg in color, which along with a few accentuated craze lines
paints a noble picture of a simple and elegant pot finished off with a loop
handle that mimics the overall form. Though richly influenced by Chinese
pottery, this mizusashi has its roots clearly in Japan that goes back at least as far as the
Edo Period. Suzuki Sansei has done an exceptional job of infusing the pot with
the best of the past to create a thoroughly modern piece.
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