写

The term "utsushi" is an interesting one, it can mean a variety of things like; to emmulate, appropriate or to be inspire by, what it does not mean is to reproduce or "an exact copy" as is often presented. An utsushi-mono in relation to a work of art or craft is more about an older work being the archetype for which a modern artist or craftman is inspired by and uses as a springboard to create an object that may only differ through sublties but is not a slavish copy. Within the world of Japanese pottery in many traditions there are objects from chawan, mizusashi and vase forms that are used by modern potters as inspirational works, these are seminal forms that have made their way through history to act as benchmarks, archtypes for modern times. In Shigaraki and Iga there are a number of mizusashi and vase forms that serve as these archetypes which have served traditional potters like Tanimoto Kosei, Furutani Michio, Konishi Heinai and Sugimoto Sadamitsu to name but a few.

Illustrated is something old and something new, on the left is a traditional Ko-Iga vase form that has inspired potters spawning numerous copies both loose and exact (plus or minus) since the day it was first made. On the right is an utsushi-mono made by Sugimoto Sadamitsu, obviously he was inspired by the Ko-Iga achetype also illustrated but rather than make an exact copy, he choose to play with the form a bit, altering the proportions, the rigidity of the base and the angularity of the lugs. By softening the squared portions of the pot, the vase takes on a very different posture and attitude, opening up the form to being a bit more intimate, inviting the viewer to wish to handle the piece as opposed to merely study it. Though the  Ko-Iga appearance matches the older vase, the firing and ash on Sugimoto's piece activates the surface and creates a sense of movement that the older piece doesn't have. There is something to be said for being inspired by a work but the true test of individuality is allowing your voice and vocabulary to be easily recognizable and shine through both form and surface.