THE ILLUSIVE LUSTER

This is one of those photos I wish I could say that I took and if I could it would mean I was able to handle this very cool pot by Wakao Toshisada. At times I forget that Wakao has made Oribe pots to go along with his phenomenal Shino works of both traditional and Rimpa inspiration and this large o-sara plate is one of those pieces that is very hard to forget. Cloaked in a great Oribe glaze the top-side is impressed with an undualting texture that runs the entire length of the piece but it is the underside, perched on three attached feet that the real beauty of this glaze becomes highlighted. Along the trail where the glaze was in motion and even formed a suspended drip, the illusive luster that rises to the glaze surface is in full view; a halo of various colors that many good Oribe pots exhibit but are rarely captured in photographs. While good lighting may be the key the truth is that irrespective of the skills of the photographer the luster is ever present just waiting for the right light source to illuminate the surface and unlock the nuances of the royalty of copper glazes.