HAIYU

Illustrated is a rather simple form with a lurid, almost lyrical incised decoration running around the piece creating a sense of perpetual motion. The pot was glazed in a rich Mashiko ash glaze (haiyu) and then was wood fired by the potter, Matsuzaki Ken with the results being framed in ash over ash making for a rather rustic chawan. The incised decoration has filled with the glaze and natural ash from the firing to fill the channels and present a rich and dark decoration which moves freely about the pot. This combination makes for a wonderful blend of the formal and the common while adding to the tactile experience the piece has to offer. It never ceases to amaze me that the confluence of a lump of clay, a simple wood tool and a few materials mixed with water can combine to create such a pleasant vessel with just the slight help of a good potter.