CONTRARY

I enjoy a pot that comes out and declares that its intention is to be contrary and in this case, the surface and gravity defying ash run is just that. This very well fired vase is by Kaneshige Yuho (b.1950) and the running brown glassy ash cuts across the surface horizontally while helping to define the vertical form finished off with two lugs at what would be the shoulder of the pot. Fired in a Bizen noborigama, the pot has a variety of effects from tamadare, goma and hiiro showing off much of what one expects from Bizen-yaki with a form that is common to Kaneshige Yuho. Born the third son of one of the pre-eminent chadogu makers of the 20th century, Kaneshige Sozan, Yuho first studied sculpture at Musashino Art University (Tokyo) before studying under his father and becoming and independant potter in 1980. Kaneshige Yuho is published and widely exhibited through out Japan and abroad having had a major three person show along with Kakurezaki Ryuichi and Kawase Shinobu in 2001. Though this vase shows the hand of the potter it is clearly guided by the surrounding influences of the Kaneshige family and over 400 years of Bizen tradition.