Illustrated
is a wonderful chawan that is up on a Japanese website that specializes in Hagi
pottery and carries the work of the modern master; Yamato Yasuo, to be clear,
this is not my photo but I was compelled to share. Several weeks back I posted up a chawan by Yamato Yasuo's
son, Tsutomu using this particular technique so I decided to search around and
find an example of where this style originated and thought that this was just
an excellent example to showcase. There is a great deal of risk in working with
this technique, many chawan fail with areas of surface flaking off the surface
but when it works it is worth the risk and effort. I have concluded why I am drawn to these surfaces; there is a primal, elemental quality to them, they are unfettered by
pattern and given over to happenstance and a controlled chaos born out of a
potter's experience.
This chawan has a carefully crafted form that is
both pleasing to the eye and easy to use with a lip that is skillfully
manipulated to appear effortless and natural which is complimented by the
spread of the pedestal style kodai that gives off a reassuring atmosphere of
stability and artistry. The rich and peachy undertones are ever so slightly muted
by the milky white glaze that is interrupted by the bold and random fissures
that run from the surface all the way to the clay body of the chawan adding not
only a dynamic tension to the appearance but a distinct sense of mystery as
well. What is easy to conclude from this chawan is that it is a tour de force
of Yamato Yasuo's unique Dai-Kannyu Hagi style and that from posture to pose
this is as classic an example as it gets to show off this daring and
unpredictable endeavor.
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