LAST POT OF 2021

Illustrated is the last pot that arrived here for 2021, it has been here for a short while and given the date and time, I sincerely doubt there will be another. This simple, almost quiet Bizen vase was made by Masamune Satoru in 2000 and is somewhat typical, classic even of how he works with clay from the form, marks, posture and applied lines. What perhaps distinguishes this particular animated pot from the rest of the pack is the firing which has ash moving in two distinct directs, vertically and horizontally while it was stationary and waiting its final fitting in the kiln. Initially the ash was swept by the form horizontally building up streaks moving from the pot facing the flames toward the rear as the firing went on ash began to build up on the face and finally began to melt and cascade down the piece from top to bottom. Obviously this is not a rare occurrence but it does trick the eye and add a dimension to the piece which otherwise would have been a nice pot of good character, strong form and a proper firing but let's face it, the ash moving in two directions brings more movement and articulation to vase that has benefited from the experience of the potter and the serendipity of the ash and flame. Several other features not to be overlooked are the strong, sturdy and practical lugs placed on opposing sides of the form, the lush ash build that helps define the mouth, a rather deceptive volume contained in the form, one of those rare pots that arrives and present the feeling of being much larger than the dimensions imply and lastly the great shell impressions left on the base of the pot where it was set to keep it from adhering to the shelf.  All in all when you add up all these enjoyable features it translates in to quite a nice package.