Emerging
from the shadows and coated in a nice layer of ash and glass, this Shigaraki
chaire reminds me of those antique feudal pieces that you can see in museums,
especially in and around Shigaraki. There is as with many of these pieces, a
timeless quality, a sense of antiquity where pots had strong, practical and
purposeful forms and on a good day a rather well fired surface. This chaire was
made by Tani Seiuemon who had for years studied and collected old pots and was
dedicated to making Shigaraki-yaki in the "old ways" right down to building
an anagama based on old Muromachi period designs. Using local Shigaraki clay
and woods favored for such uncomplicated surfaces, there are many of the
characteristics of the earlier archetypes in Tani's pottery from the way the
clay is handled, to posture and the various marks and spatula work. I think it
may be safe to say Tani Seiuemon's works
don't have the bold charisma of Tsuji Seimei or the flare and playfulness of
Suzuki Goro but when it comes down to simplicity, honesty and practicality his
pots are first on my list for use and for adding a magical and solitary sense
of antiquity to a shelf in an otherwise modern environment.
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