I
received an email the other day in which I was jokingly refered to as a
"repeat offender" in that I tend to post/write about wood fired pots
and Tsukigata way too often to which I retorted, it's my blog and I'll post
what I want to. I have received emails like this before and it is absolutely
true, wood fired pots get a lot of attention, I am mostly putting up pieces
that speak to me and that I am affected by pots by Furutani Michio, Kojima
Kenji, Tsukigata Nahiko, Kumano Kuroemon and others who always manage to get my
mind reeling. To switch things up, ever so slightly I choose this wonderful
Kawai Kanjiro henko that I have had in my pictures file for quite some time. I
am particularly drawn to the stoic and purposeful form but it is the excellent
articulation of the design and borders in underglaze iron, copper red and gosu
blue on the gohonde style backdrop that makes this piece so eloquently
conversant and immediately grabs my attention. I have seen a number of Kawai
henko very similar but the background with a subtle mix of greys, lavenders and
creamy tans make for a rather striking surface in which the canvas is almost as
pleasing as the painted design. Even though there hasn't been a traditionally
wood fired piece up in several weeks, I hope this takes a small step to a more
thoughtful balance of styles and traditions.
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