IMPROMPTU PORTRAIT

 

I recently helped facilitate a trade between two collector resulting in the fact that each felt like they got the better of the deal which at the end of the day is exactly the way it should be. The illustrated Iga chawan which I had here a short while back is one of the bowls that was sent my way before being shipped off to the new owner who was coincidentally the original owner who had decided to sell the piece several months prior. The original owner and now current owner regretted having sold the piece and was happy to get it back and considering I have had it on two occasions to study, I understand why and isn't it odd how things work out? Made by Iga potter, Kojima Kenji as you can see in this impromptu portrait the bowl is quite a handful in person with a great posture and confident presence. The face has a rather nice, wet surface of natural ash with the rest of the pot being a balance of ash deposit across the breath of the interior floor and a fine "baked red" clay flavor completing the narrative of this chawan. The pot is finished with a rather nice, casual kodai that is typical of Kojima with not a hint of anything fussy or contrived. The truth is that it is just a classic Ko-Iga style chawan that would be a pleasure to use and even more so just to handle and spend time with.