LATTICE

I'll start out by saying, this is a fairly large Shigaraki tsubo. Beyond the obvious of scale, the surface is covered with a lattice like netting or fence pattern while the interior id covered with a series of banded tataki anvil marks adding a nice touch visually to the pot. The reticulated exterior is covered in a nice coat of ash, some of which breaks to areas of wetness while the rest of the pot shows a dusting of ash and rich, reddish clay , tsuchi-aji that is admired by wood fire connoisseurs. This pot is a classic example of a large Shigaraki tsubo by Takahashi Shunsai which is a fine blend of ancient tradition, his father's ideals (Rakusai III) and his own vision all wrapped up in this neat package. I have seen a number of pots decorated in this fashion and in the catalogue; THE SHIGARAKI WARE; NAOKATA'S TEA WARE & SHUNSAI'S JARS there are several examples of jars showing the use of impressed decoration about the surfaces. This pot gives off a rather strong feudal presence in person and has that timeless quality that I admire in wood fired pots and I hope this short video slideshow gives one of sense of the volume if not the scale of the piece along with the character of this simple, paddled jar.