REPURPOSED

Illustrated is a rather nice Ki-Seto hanaire that apparently started life out as a kake-ire hanging vase though now the hole for the hanger has been plugged with wood and then lacquered over. Truth be told, at nearly 10" tall and not particularly light weight, I don't really see this as a practical hanging vase though i am sure it would have work but the real question is who altered the vase, potter or subsequent owner.

This vase was made by one of Arakawa Toyozo's main students, Nakayama Naoki whose Shino and Ki-seto works bare the strong influence of the master though the details differentiate master from student and in this case the posture and form are quite different as well and the dragged vertical mark adding definition to the form is not quite as modeled as that of Arakawa. As for the surface there is a nice balance of translucent and dry areas giving glimpse of the clay through the glaze which has a wide array of glassy yellow-green areas and shimmery crystals created by the firing and small ash crystals. At the end of the day whether it is free standing or hanging doesn't affect the simple, even noble form and an appearance that looks like it has traveled from a point in the very distant past.

Perhaps not 100% applicable but interesting none the less; "Uncommon thinkers reuse what common thinkers refuse."  JRD Tata