I don't know a lot about Rakunyu I except to say that he fired using a noborigama at a time before the anagama was re-introduced to the valley and was made sometime prior to to 1960 but after WWII. I am struck by the casual and thin throwing with markings that circle the piece adding to a sense of motion that is then high lighted by a lightly colored rear and a dark, charcoal reduced face, like two distinct phases of the moon. The shoulder of the chaire likewise is nearly bisected by dark and light halves but is speckled with additional ash which has an amber brown appearance adding to the effects that bring life to the piece. I have seen only a handful of pottery by Honiwa Rakunyu I of which this is the only chaire but his pots have a rugged and determined sense of tradition and function to them and are easy to use and even easier to admire.
Friday, June 15, 2018
UNUSUAL SIGHTING
Over
the years I have seen a fair number of pots by Honiwa Rakunyu II, in fact, my
wife and I had visited his studio/ kiln a number of times on our trips to Japan
and to Shigaraki specifically. We still owe a debt of gratitude to Honiwa's
daughter for her gracious offer to take us around Shigaraki on our first trip
to the area while we were milling about in the rain. This brings me to the illustrated
chaire, though I am always reluctant to use the term rare or rara avis, let's
just say this little pot made for an unusual sighting. The Shigaraki chaire in
this short video slideshow was made by Honiwa Rakunyu I, teacher of Rakunyu II
who assumed the name in 1963 and given when it was made having the original
shifuku and signed box make it quite a nice package.
I don't know a lot about Rakunyu I except to say that he fired using a noborigama at a time before the anagama was re-introduced to the valley and was made sometime prior to to 1960 but after WWII. I am struck by the casual and thin throwing with markings that circle the piece adding to a sense of motion that is then high lighted by a lightly colored rear and a dark, charcoal reduced face, like two distinct phases of the moon. The shoulder of the chaire likewise is nearly bisected by dark and light halves but is speckled with additional ash which has an amber brown appearance adding to the effects that bring life to the piece. I have seen only a handful of pottery by Honiwa Rakunyu I of which this is the only chaire but his pots have a rugged and determined sense of tradition and function to them and are easy to use and even easier to admire.
I don't know a lot about Rakunyu I except to say that he fired using a noborigama at a time before the anagama was re-introduced to the valley and was made sometime prior to to 1960 but after WWII. I am struck by the casual and thin throwing with markings that circle the piece adding to a sense of motion that is then high lighted by a lightly colored rear and a dark, charcoal reduced face, like two distinct phases of the moon. The shoulder of the chaire likewise is nearly bisected by dark and light halves but is speckled with additional ash which has an amber brown appearance adding to the effects that bring life to the piece. I have seen only a handful of pottery by Honiwa Rakunyu I of which this is the only chaire but his pots have a rugged and determined sense of tradition and function to them and are easy to use and even easier to admire.
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