BLUE MONDAY XVIII

I know it must seem that I seem to gravitate to the same potters over and over again. Truth is, I have really broad, eccentric and diverse tastes when it comes to pots (music and movies as well) though less so when it comes to food! In terms of pottery with blue glazes, there are actually not that many that I really enjoy beyond the Kawai school gosu, Kato Takuo and Kobei VII, Kato Kenji and a handful of others. It is most likely for this reason that I tend to focus on a select group for these "Blue Monday" posts and this one will be no exception.

Illustrated is a large Raqqa (toruko-ao) influenced blue vase by Kato Kenji. Thrown round and then the mouth formed in to an hexagon, the pot was decorated with his trademark black decoration which has run a bit blue at the lip. The wonderful flared mouth is complimented by small pierced lugs on either side of the vase that along with the geometric patterning help define the form and its graceful stance to near perfection. I am drawn to the skillful throwing, simple lines, well executed decoration and honesty of the pots of Kato Kenji which snake along some imaginary timeline of the Silk Road that has found its way to Japan and become just as much Japanese as Persian in the hands of this thoughtful and enthusiastic practitioner.

I suspect this vase was made in the early 1980's and I thought this tune somewhat appropriate, the1983 classic Blue Monday by New Order.