A long while back I wrote about an early 17th
century Shigaraki chawan that belongs to the Cleveland Museum of Art and
recently I found a photo of a chawan that though rather modern, has many of the
same attributes of the original from form, posture and overall presence. This
chawan is by Furutani Michio, made in the 1990s and has the very same attitude
as if extending an invitation to tea. This is a simple bowl, high sided with
casual but not overly emphasized throwing marks with a slight flair as the bowl
progresses to the lip. I imagine it is a rather tactile bowl with the areas of
peppered ash creating a familiar and active sensation. Though these two bowls
were created centuries apart, it is obvious the Furutani Michio considered the
exact same functional and aesthetic sensibilities as the 17th potter; how does
the chawan feel in the hand, considering the weight, circumference, the lip,
the tea pool and the appearance; basically, how do you make a chawan that
appeals to all of the senses. Though if you were to put the CMA chawan and this
one by Furutani Michio side by side, there are obvious differences but it is
the similarities that ties the old to the new and after all, that is the best
that a potter steeped in tradition can ever hope to do.
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