Monday, July 29, 2019

TT&A

A while back I put up a blog post about an Oribe textured teabowl and recently tried the same surface treatment on a bowl than glazed in temmoku with a thin, really thin coat of ash glaze over it. The illustration is the results of the trial which has a rather brooding and ominous appearance though being a bit more slender than normal and with the very present texture the teabowl is easily handled with one hand and functions well. Probably the only caveat is that the texture at the lip clearly registers on the user and though it is not quite weaponized, it definitely is noticeable and possibly a concern for some users. Not that my opinion matters but I have long held the belief that once you move away from the industrial manufacturer and the very conventional the user should accommodate themselves to the pot and not the other way around. I realize this is not strictly speaking the definition of function but let's be honest, given the sheer number of potters and the way they throw, tool, put handles on pots, make lips, not every pot is going to work for each and every users this is where some degree of accommodation surely would come in handy. I should also mention this effect looks a bit harsh in the photo but is less so in person, admittedly the lightening is not exactly this teabowls best friend.