UPSIDE DOWN

A while back I put up a couple of different post in regards to a sculptural Bizen piece by Kaneshige Kosuke, son of the Ningen Kokuho, Kaneshige Toyo. I think it is fair to say that when thinking of Kosuke it is his sculptural body of work that initially springs to mind and as you flip through TOH #45 that is all that is illustrated in the book about this artist-potter. I think it is also safe to say that among sake enthusiasts and chadogu collectors that Kaneshige Kosuke has also create a wonderful array of guinomi, tokkuri, chawan, mizusashi, vases and quite frankly, everyday using pottery. Looking at his body of work and the pioneering aspects of his sculptural pieces I can see why these pieces have attacked  the lion's share among critics but his wheel thrown pottery stands out among a large field among the Bizen tradition and are quite easily at home in daily use, for the odd and rare ceremony or occasion or up on a shelf to help define and even influence one's environment.

Illustrated is a low Bizen chawan with a slightly wobbly posture and seductively undulating lip with a line creating the slope to the foot that echoes the movement of the mouth and creates a nice sense of movement. If you notice, there is a drip running up the bowl on the left which visually defies gravity but is actually the tell tale clue that this chawan was fired upside down. I think as you move away from thinking about Kaneshige Kosuke's Bizen sculpture, this is not a bad chawan to look at; classic lines, traditional yet modern form, nicely articulated surface and a lift off the foot and shadow line that are pleasing to the eye and the soul not to mention a wonderful sense of calm. It may not be a sculpture but following in his father's footsteps, but the way Kosuke uses clay and firing can be seen in pots just like this chawan combining a feudal tradition with concerns and aesthetics of a new millennium.