EARLY ON

I found this photo floating around on the web though it originates with a Japanese dealer who I hope won't mind me posting it up on my blog. This chawan was made early on in the career of Oni-Shino pioneer, Tsukigata Nahiko and represents one of the two distinct styles he calls Ki-Seto. Simply put though not without some variations, Tsukigata's Ki-Seto is best represented by this drier and curdled style together with a wet, glassier surface many times with running ash or a crustier tamadare like effect that mimics an aburage texture. This particular chawan ticks off all the classic boxes from purposeful form to low and well dressed kodai and a rather nice kick to the base that makes for a tantalizing shadow line. Though this Tsukigata chawan was made back in the early 1970s it is easy to see the relationship between this work and his more characteristic Oni-Shino if you strip away all the glaze and study the bones or truth of the form.