One of the things that I really
like about both old and modern yuteki-temmoku chawan is when the glaze
terminates in a thick, gravity defying roll. The glaze roll is both visually
pleasing and tactilely engaging adding a definitive characteristic to the area
of the kodai. Illustrated is the kodai
of a chawan by Takahashi Wasaburo who I have written about before. Combining
his study with iron specialist and Ningen kokuho, Shimizu U'ichi and Shigaraki
veteran Ueda Naokata, this chawan is glazed in a thick, dark, rich
yuteki-temmoku and the roll of glaze meets up to the wet hi-iro that covers the
foot except where the pot was stood on wads during the wood firing. The crisply
cut foot fits the chawan well as does the mixture of fat glaze and the effects
of the wood kiln to create a unique and well executed kodai that pays tribute
to both of his former teachers and his inescapable reliance on tradition.
.JPG)