RESISTENCE IS FEUDAL

After the Second World War, there was a real resurgence and reimagining of the feudal traditions of Japan, whether they were the glazed wares of Mino and other locales or the Rokkoyo; potters across the country turned to these archetypal pots to bring them well into a new century. Among these varied styles was that of Tokoname where Ezaki Issei spear-headed the rebirth of their ancient pottery along with several of his students such as Osako Mikio and Takeuchi Kimiaki. The illustrated medieval style tsubo is one facet of what modern Tokoname ware looks like as interpreted by Takeuchi Kimiaki where the clay body has the classic appearance of pots from the Ezaki school of pottering making along with the vivid, almost illuminated ash glaze wrapping the lip, mouth and shoulder of the piece while trails ending in bidoro gems cascade down the form. Though there are both subtle and overt differences in the works of Ezaki, Osako and Takeuchi, there are also a number of similarity as each worked within a singular vision of what ancient Tokoname pots had to say as well as how they wished to communicate what the modern tradition would add to those pots that had gone before. It is hard to resist this type of tsubo filled with purpose and created without an over bearing intellect where the elements are casually crafted to create a pot filled with the merging of the ancient and modern spirit.