I am sure that I am not alone in my love of a rather
ubiquitous auction site that from time to time yields little treasures or more
aptly put, object which collectors value more than the seller or fellow
collectors. The illustrated little kogo is one such prize, a simple Ki-Seto
kogo by Toyoba Seiya that is about as timeless and classic in form and function
as they come reminding me of a wet, moss covered stepping stone leading one to
a tea house or a small shrine well off the beaten path. Toyoba studied with
Arakawa Toyozo which is rather apparent looking at this kogo with a glaze that
is wet in appearance and has a depth that still allows the clay to speak which
is highlighted by the dark, rich crinkled texture that frames the top of the
piece. Having learned well from his master, Toyoba tends to create pots that
are in no way fussy or contrived, most have a certain simplicity to the lines
and concept of the form with glazes that compliment the pots to near
perfection. Perhaps the one characteristic of this kogo that I enjoy beyond the
form and feudal surface is the casual way both clay and glaze was handled with
a single fingerprint to both punctuate the overall presentation of the piece
but to also act as an ad-hoc marker to instruct the viewer/user how and where
the halves line up. Does it get any more extemporaneous than this?
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