I
snapped a picture of this large Kuro-Satsuma ozara by Araki Mikijiro out of a
Japanese book on plates, platters and bowls. In some respects as I look at many
of Araki's pots, it dawns on me that they are not necessarily definable as
Japanese, they could be European or American, they don't have characteristics
that just scream out "JAPAN". I do think however that as you study
the forms, the specific surfaces and their particulars as well as the way in
which the foot is finished and even more so the clay, the origins are there to
be spotted and of course the impressed seal(s) and inscribed signature doesn't
hurt either. What draws me to Araki's pottery is the useful practicality and the
beautiful use of glaze and decoration which create a dramatic sense of
movement on forms that are simple and
elegant in nature; there is a intense sense of tradition and honesty infused in the
combination of material, firing and the craft of the potter.
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