QUALITY CONTROL

I found this photo on the web a number of years ago, it may have been taken by Tsukigata Akihiko, son of Nahiko though I am not exactly sure. Despite being a bit blurry and it does not exactly enlarge very well it is clear exactly what you are looking at, quality control at a very human level. The photo clearly shows Tsukigata Nahiko breaking up a serving bowl while seated in front of a growing pile of shards with several larger pots behind an iron kettle hanging from a jizai-kagi. Like every potter who goes through this process of deciding what pots should be broken, it is clear by Tsukigata's expression that this is a painful process seeing pots that came from nothing but a lump of clay and then were nursed through the throwing, bisque, glazing and firing process meeting the hammer.

What I can say about this process from my own personal experience is that though there is nothing positive about this other than making sure the wrong pots don't get out, this is an absolutely necessary part of the process and I have broken more pots then I care to remember. I suspect the exact same sentiment, that of anguish and acceptance is most likely the case of what was going through the mind of Tsukigata Nahiko as the sound of the hammer on ceramic shattered the otherwise peaceful tranquility of the studio.