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)
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