Wednesday, November 28, 2018

YU-TSUBO

I recently received three exhibition catalogues from three distinct venues covering a two year period showcasing the Bizen pottery of Fujiwara Yu. The three catalogues all came from the same dealer here in the states and the majority of work revolves around Fujiwara Yu's tsubo with a few tea pieces and guinomi/tokkuri illustrated as well. What makes these three catalogues a bit unusual is that all three have shikishi size paintings in the frontispiece of each catalogue, two of the paintings are of pots and the other is only calligraphy. Illustrated is one of the paintings done in a rich, black ink on a vivid red background of a Bizen flower vase complete with flowers, classic neck and ubiquitous lugs. I suspect that all three of these catalogues came from the same original source, regulars at the exhibitions of Fujiwara Yu where at each event, he inked an addition to their catalogues as one would do for a regular patron. Now all I need to find out is where are all the pots that go along with the catalogues.