I recently had an email exchange with a fellow collector and at
some point, he mentioned a Fujisan chawan that he admired but had missed out
on. I have not seen the piece but from past experience, it is rather difficult
to orchestrate the Fuji-san motif well so that it articulates appropriately
with the bowl form. I am certainly not saying it can not be done as there are
quite a few chawan decorated with Fuji that work quite well. This reminded me
of a Wakao Toshisada Shino chawan that I have on the hard drive of just such a
bowl with exactly that motif and to my eye, it works exceptionally well. This
chawan has a sprawling scene of Fuji-san that covers the entire face of the
chawan in a variety of colors and technique creating a powerful image which
fits the form so well as if the two are absolutely inseperable. Wakao Toshisada
created an image that is reminescent of many a great Edo period painting with
hints of the great Rimpa and Nihonga masters in this work presenting a powerful
and three dimensional painting on a classic and timeless chawan made by a
master at the very top of his craft.
.JPG)