SATINY SMOOTH

This is an old picture, perhaps from 10 years ago, it recently surfaced as I was looking for another pot on a disc with pottery files. It is funny how there are certain things I remember about pots I have handled and in this case the satiny, smooth texture of the glaze juxtaposed against the slightly coarse clay still stands out in my mind. Though Ningen Kokuho for Seto-Guro, Kato Kozo is also well known for his various Shino and Ki-seto glazes as well as for his rather distinctive tetsu-yu that feels wonderful to the touch and has a very subtle array of effects and sub-textures about the surface. The rich, full form and evocative landscape gives one the impression of cradling a large succulent or at the very least a big ripe persimmon making the chawan that much easier to interact with. Over time I have seen a number of Kato Kozo's tetsu-yu pots from chawan to tsubo and yet this particular piece always springs to mind and makes me think of Japan in the late fall when the persimmons are ripe and ready to pick.