It
is quite obvious that texture and Oribe go hand in hand all the way back to its
origins in the 16th century. This is not to say that Oribe isn't equally as
beautiful on even and untextured surfaces but rather the glaze accentuates
texture quite well, high lighting every mark, depression or raised area
creating a wide array of color variations without the addition of other glazes
or the need to necessarily be wood fired. In a recent batch of catalogues that
I received there was this illustrated Oribe vase by Wakao Toshisada that is a
textbook example of just how well the glaze and texture go hand and glove.
Wakao has thrown a wonderful Momoyama inspired vase that has been worked with
spatula and knife to create a study in naturally inspired texture that
accentuate the vertical nature of the form without masking the throwing lines about
the pot. Once fired, the Oribe glaze shows off every mark in various ways
adding a more classical narrative to the pot with areas around the mouth
creating a rich ring of deep green like a band to encircle and control flowers
put in the vase. For a potter that is mainly thought of as a Shino specialist
it is quite clear that Wakao Toshisada is a master of the various Mino
traditions with a profound foundation in the modern interpretation of the modern
Momoyama aesthetic.
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