TANG STYLINGS

My interest in Tang pottery goes all the way back to my college days where I took an intro art class, Introduction to Chinese Pottery. Luckily I was within driving distance of the BMFA and the Met and was able to see lots of wonderful examples of Chinese pottery but early on the Tang pieces fascinated me most. Over the years I have been fortunate to see and even handle some Tang pieces including at the Cleveland Museum of Art and I am always profoundly impacted at the wonderful articulation of clay, form and surface that just gives off a rather otherworldly quality. 

Fast forward to my time studying modern Japanese ceramics and there are a number of potters working in this Tang idiom and sancai ware from the internationally known Kato Takuo and his son Kato Kobei VII to less known potters, at least in the West like the maker of this pot, Yoshida Shinsai. This covered mizusashi form was just hanging out on the shelf and taking in the sun so I took the opportunity to photograph the piece in situ in some of its reflective glory. Consisting of a rich, deep green, amber hues and a pale, almost clear yellow the coloration of this pot is quite well balanced and instead of distracting from the overall grace of the form it enhances it to what I consider to be its fullest potential. This utsushi-mono style mizusashi is a rather spot on copy of a tang covered form right down to the incised lines that ring the surface further adding to the movement and interest of the piece. Looking at this modern interpretation of a classic form I can't help but feel a small amount of the ancient presence that instill a sense of awe and reverence that Tang pots are so great at communicating.