MIO/PIM

Thrown out of an iron rich clay, this Okinawan style, enameled chawan was first coated in a thick base of white slip, later glazed in a  'coral and rice ash'* clear glaze with a running iron lip before the subdued yellow and rich red and green pigments were painted as overglaze. This simple bowl was made by Shoji Hamada and in many respects typifies his enamel ware pottery in that the colors are vivid, the brushwork is strong, decisive and fast and the designs/ decoration have a common sense of nobility and honesty to them. This wonderful brushwork is the result of years of "doing" and in regards to the enamel pottery he would decorate up a group of pots and fire them to just under 1500 degrees over a short period of time allowing for a quick turn around to confirm the quality of the brushwork, enamels and the decoration thus making adjustments easier for future firings. Everything about this chawan has the look of simplicity but rest assured, from choice of materials, the throwing/ tooling and the direct and spontaneous brushwork are all both complex and masterful.

(* see Susan Peterson; SHOJI HAMADA)