IF MEMORY SERVES ME*

I remember our first trip down to NYC to meet with Dr. Fred Baekeland and his wife rather clearly and prior to going we had exchanged a few letters and photos (remember a thing called the mail?) as well as a few phone conversations in regards to our interests and our "want list". At the time we were interested in wood fired pots, mostly the six ancient kilns, Shino and Hagi pottery. When we arrived the good Doctor had a number of pots out and a group of boxes within view and one by one he showed us a rather nice selection of pieces, some in our price range and others not even close. We were guided toward a young Bizen potter who's work we just did not connect with as well as several Hagi pots by both Hatano Zenzo and Mukuhara Kashun, both of whom had just recently had exhibitions in Japan which was where these pots were acquired ( I believe the shows were in Osaka and Kyoto respectively). We were taken by both of these potters but we would have to choose between two chawan by Hatano and one by Mukuhara and though it took some real mental acrobatics, we choose the Hatano Zenzo chawan which we still have all these years later. After several months we contact Dr. Baekeland and asked if the Mukuhara chawan was still available and it was not and to this day we continue to have a soft spot for the chawan of  both Hatano and Mukuhara .

Fast forward more than a few years (!) and this rather nice, simple chawan shows up with rich colors including some coral tones and a rather provocative milky white ash glaze over the majority of the chawan. This chawan is by Hagi potter, Mukuhara Kashun, at least a decade or more later than the one I had handled back in NYC and has such a classic and traditional appearance that it escape time, new or old it was created by design and for a specific purpose. Over the years I have heard a number of individuals talk about what does and doesn't make for a good chawan, how many are just "bowls" at the end of the day, to my eye, Mukuhara doesn't go out of his way to make chawan, it just happens on the wheel; first when it is thrown and then when the kodai is skillfully yet simply executed. A good chawan reminds me that there really is truth to the old adage, sometimes thing do just happen and probably all the more often when you have spent a lifetime in clay.

(* And yes, I miss THE IRON CHEF Japanese TV show.)