Wednesday, March 4, 2015

SITTING PRETTY

Illustrated is a knob, sitting pretty on top of a mizusashi by veteran Iga potter, Imai Yasuhito (B.1937). Featured in the GENDAI CHATO TAIKAN among a wide array of other books and catalogues, Imai founded and works at his Renzan-gama studio making classic and traditional Iga pottery which has a very feudal feel to his work. This simple and well fired pot has a knob that speaks of function while being classically dressed as a result of an exceptional firing. I have seen a number of Imai Yasuhito's pottery and each is a blend of medieval archetype with a modern sensibility and a very idiosyncratic firing. I can't say you get the full story from a picture of a lid and it's knob but after all, a picture is worth a thousand words.