The
box of this chawan clearly and succinctly reads; ONI-SHINO CHAWAN and though
not totally alien to this potter, this style is a bit less well known than his
various Shino, Oribe and haiyu glazed pots. The potter is Hayashi Shotaro and
what normally springs to mind is the thickly glazed Shino pots of various
incarnations from pure white, crimson reds to blue based feldspar surface and
let's not forget the soft and evocative pastels of his rich Manyosai haiyu
glazes. This Oni-Shino chawan shows vivid areas of semi-translucent crackle
Shino with rich areas of iron effervescing through to the surface creating a
scene out of some icy world envisioned only in our minds all layered and
painted on to a canvas that has seductive curves and a posture defined with
strength and functional determination.Though
in no way an anomaly I think I am attracted to this chawan and surface because
there is a uniqueness to it, it fits well within Hayashi Shotaro's body of work
while being obviously different than the bulk of his Shino chawan like one of
those teachable moments for days gone by where "one of these things is not
like the other". I will admit, I am drawn to the eccentric, the outsiders,
those that walk a distinctly different path and it is easy to see where this
Oni-Shino chawan is certainly not like the others.
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