Illustrated
is a classic and rather wonderful chaire by Raku and Iga potter, Konishi Heinai.
As with many of these photos, this is
not a photo I took or a pot that I handled but I certainly thought it worth
sharing as a stellar example of Konishi's work which at first glance almost
appears like it was dipped in a glass tank and coated in a beautiful coating of
rich bidoro. The form is strong and medieval in appearance with a simple, even
subtle design rendered around the pot which is further accentuated by the all
natural ash that has covered this chaire. I have seen and handled a number of
pots by Konishi Heinai over the years and can say without hesitation this may
rank as the finest and my favorite chaire by him that I have seen; the surface
is electric and shimmery like a coveted glassy gem which in all likelihood
would be hard to play second fiddle to the chawan in use during the tea
ceremony. Though this could be considered ever so slightly old school, I
believe that pots like this will keep traditions like Iga on the straight and
narrow and serve as an archetype into the future in the same way medieval pots
served this function for potters like Konishi Heinai in the recent century past.
.JPG)