Though
I have not seen this particular chawan in person, I have seen four and that
many more in catalogues, hikidashi style teabowls that at times resemble some
of the characteristics one associated with American Raku. Made by notable Iga
potter, Kojima Kenji there is something very lyrical and animated about this
chawan which is decked out in areas of lustrous black, smoky, crackled
off-white and almost Oribe green splashed across the surface here and there, seemingly arbitrary. The form
of the chawan looks stretched and looks like it is struggling with the decision
to go one way or the other but the posture is rooted in the smallish kodai
which is cloaked in a wonderful shadow cut by the lift of the chawan which
looks a bit like it is hovering above the surface. At its core this chawan has
blended function and playfulness to conjure up a flirtatious narrative that is
pleasing to the eye and all business when it comes to its intended purpose. It
would be quite nice to handle this chawan at some point or perhaps one like it
despite the fact it is in Japan (at the moment?), I can always dream on, odder
things have happened.
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