I
keep saying that when it comes to guinomi (and tokkuri) I am basically an
accidental collector but I guess if you are shown something or find something
and then collect it, that's not exactly accidental. It is not exactly like I
went out on a mid-afternoons walk and just stumbled across a guinomi lying in
the grass, picked it up, put it in my pocket and brought it home to add to the
collection of guinomi. There is purpose and intent behind the purchase but I
will say in the defense of my characterization that it is exceedingly rare that
I wake up and think to myself, "today I want to buy a guinomi", on
the other hand, a chawan more than likely fits that thought process but a sake
cup just not that likely. That being said , recently I was shown a rather nice
guinomi that even the chawan collector in me said, we really should own that
little cup. Illustrated is an overall impromptu
picture of a Kumano Kuroemon Kuma-Shino guinomi that I posted up the interior
of a short while back. Though only a guinomi as with most Kumano pieces this is
a handful with a surface to match its size and energy with areas of thick,
fractured Shino mingling with unglazed and ash coated areas painting a
narrative that only "the Bear" could. Perhaps my favorite feature of
this piece is the meandering lip which reminds me of rolling hills, a landscape
that I just haven't seen before but am glad to have visited.
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