AN ALCHEMIST'S FORMULA

The other day I ended up using a Shigaraki chawan hidden in shadows and highlighted by sunlight for a Season's greeting photo and thought best to show the piece in a more formal portrait. This haikaburi style Shigaraki chawan was made by Kohyama Yasuhisa when back when in Showa 48 (1973) and is illustrated in an exhibition catalogue from that year and in person or illustration has that timeless appearance. Though a rather early chawan by Kohyama, overall he has maintained a rather recognizable style from form, lip and kodai and because of that this the classic fore-runner of chawan made decades later. As for the surface created by one of the earliest anagama in The Valley since the 18th century, there are three distinct panels from crusty, dark ash to thin glass to rich fire color punctuated by small ishihaze, stones and feldspar popping out here and there. Added all together, the features like an alchemist's formula come together to create a bowl that sits rather nicely in the hand or on display and offers all of the tidbits that contemporary Shigaraki pottery is well known for. 

 

GOING BACK TO MOVE FORWARD

Every now and again I find myself going back to move forward, not exactly to the drawing board but rather to a way and style of working that I have moved away from. In this case, though I am constantly working in terra cotta which is about 80% of my out-put, I decided to do some black and white combed slip pieces in an Oribe and an amber glazed surface using stoneware. For the firing this covered jar came out of I made about a dozen or so covered jars, all black and white slip, some trailed, others brushed and combed in sized from about 12" to 15" in height. 

This particular jar was slipped and combed and has two lids, the interior lid and the exterior one that fits over the neck of the pot. I was, am pleased with how they came out and really like the pattern created by the comb showing up as a rich, darker color through the transparent Oribe glaze. In many respects a see a lot of my old mentor Bill Klock in these pots together with the wide array of historic pottery made in this style with a hint of a Japanese flair through the use of an Oribe style glaze. These were rather enjoyable to make, I like the honesty and directness of such pots and I hope that I circle back to making a few more pieces including larger jars and plates/bowls in the near future as now that my wife has snagged one of these jars she informed me she needs a "good size" plate for the wall and to use on the right occasions.

ONE HIT WONDER

I have to admit when thinking about the Iga and Seiji potter, Kishimoto Kennin, Ki-Seto is about the last thing that springs to mind but that is exactly what we are looking at proving he is no one hit wonder where it comes to surfaces. This is neither my pot nor my photo, this chawan belongs to a fellow collector and is an earlier piece by Kishimoto showing off a classic form and somewhat unique glaze surface that along with all of his other surfaces, he has managed to make this Ki-Seto particular to his studio. Beyond the form, the slightly meandering lip, protruding rib, centrally located and the fast spatula work breath the right amount of movement and life into this chawan making it somewhat enjoyable in the viewing and presumably even more so in the using.

GRAND PURPOSE

Looking a bit like a battlefield of both competing and complimentary textures and hues of color, this Oribe chawan is evidence of modernity in a tradition that has proliferated chadogu for nearly five centuries. This Oribe chawan was made by Tsukamoto Haruhiko and is the embodiment of a new spirit within the Mino tradition where the old and new collide to create new surfaces, forms, styles and firing techniques to add to a long standing tradition. Though many of the features may appear traditional from form and playful exterior, the way in which textures, slips and throwing and tooling are employed, there is a distinct freshness to much of Tsukamoto's work, there is both animation and abstraction worked into the clay which springboards off the playful intent of the earliest Oribe ware. I think what I normally bring away from after a Tsukamoto Haruhiko encounter is a sense of being visually and texturally amused and though they are designed and made for use and ceremony both, harnassing both exuberence and solemnity in a three dimensional form is likely their grandest purpose.

1.5÷15=ftb

At the end of the day in which I got less done than I had hoped, I had a few minutes to spare and just about 1.5lbs of clay so I decided to see what I could get done, start to finish in 15 minutes. To be honest, I kind of cheated in that given a recent encounter, i decided to make something that I have made in the past though not for some time or in recent memory. As you can see in the picture, I ended up making a fluted teabowl (ftb) that now tooled and fluted is quite a bit lighter than it started. The original inspiration for these bowls (and jars) that I made came from a 16th medieval suit of armour* most associated with Maximilian I or II, known as Maximiliansharnisch or Riefelharnisch where the armour is heavily fluted to create a stronger more defensive surface against weapons of the 16th century. 

My intent was to create an organic form which was curvy and imitated the upper torso portion of the armour (cuirass) which also serves as a great way to handle the pot once completed. Before this bowl goes to bisque I will gently sand and round down the ridges to remove the sharper protrusions and then decide how to graze it, maybe Oribe would be a good choice! All in all, using my handy stopwatch, now encrusted in clay, from wedging to tooling the bowl took 13 minutes and 22 seconds, shy of the 15 minutes I allot myself but this being a somewhat practiced form and technique the time should have come in even shorter. As I have mentioned before, anything worth doing is worth doing even faster the next time.      

The second photo shows the finished fired maxarm teabowl that I had made as a mad dash project. As may seem totally uncharacteristic of me, I opted for my Oribe glaze with a fine addition of iron over the surface. At the termination of each channel the glaze has collected creating a dark, rich pool that has an eerie effect under the most intense light source.  

(*I should mention that since my suit of Maximilian armour is at the dry cleaners a simple web search will give you the necessary comparative illustration that you may be intrigued by or you could follow the attached link. ) 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_armour

  

NIGHT & DAY

When I look at this large bottle, I just marvel at the atmosphere that it gives off, somber, brooding and purposeful straddling the realms of utility and appreciation, all attributes that make for a powerful and direct pot. Though I knew the maker immediately, you can see some elements of Karatsu-yaki in this bottle though if you know the potter, Sakata Deika XIII (1915-2010) it is quite clear that this is but one facet of how this potter sees and interprets Hagi in modern times. Full of volume and graceful bearing this stoneware form is the perfect setting for a surface that runs with hues of creamy off-white, lavenders and pinks all punctuated by effects created by the clay surface to dark, almost ominous overtones on the rear that paints a dynamic landscape moving from the light into darkness, like night and day.       

Born in 1915, Sakata Deika assumed the mantle as head of the Fugawa-gama (Yamaguchi Pref.) where he settled in and pioneered research into the recreation of the classic Ido style chawan of his ancestry. Having a career that expands over such a long time, Deika XIII left works in a wide array of styles, surfaces and forms among which this bottle and surface seem to be prevelant right through the 1990s though this piece dates to the late 1970s. Aside from Sakata Deika's classic Ido chawan, it is clear that he was dedicated to the Hagi tradition in which he spent a lifetime combining the old with the new with a clear eye on expanding the tradition, moving forward and bringing along hints of a modern aesthetic along for the ride.

FULLNESS

Glazed and wood fired, what really draws me to this Tamba tokkuri is the fullness of the piece, the captured volume that creates a taunt form, ready to burst or perhaps just be used spilling all of its contents. Made to be used, the surface of this tokkuri is a delightful collage of creamy, running glaze over an ash glaze with areas of iron while punctuated with stone and feldspar emerging from the clay to add further accents the pot. At its core this is a simple tokkuri, skillfully thrown with a purposeful base and mouth capping the structure, centuries in the designing though clearly of a more modern age this is a pot full of movement an in the moment. In all respects Nishibata Tadashi has taken what would seem to be an everyday pot and stretched its use, definition and aesthetics into an amalgamation of old and new, simple and complex and most assuredly the familiar into the distinctive vision of a potter building on the Tamba tradition who creating uncommon works along the way.

NO PHOTO INCLUDED

On and off for the past several years I have been making these thick combed slip bottles in predominantly three glaze surfaces; Oribe, AO+ and iron yellow saffron. Recently I received an email and asked if I could make a large AO+ bottle destined as a gift, normally the largest I tend to make is about 16" tall but they wanted something over 20" when it was fired. Piece of cake I thought and I set about throwing the bulk of the form and then added two coils and threw the rest to the shoulder and luted a neck to the pot when it was firm enough. Once tooled, I applied the thick slip and combed it and was pretty confident all was well. As you may imagine, this is where things went askew as the very top and bottom were slightly different in how dry they were and the addition of the very thick and wet slip caused a split on the inside of the pot where the first coil was added. This of course went unnoticed until the pot was bisque and came out with a crack about 5 inches long and just wide enough to slip a sheet of paper into, hammer-time.     

For my follow-up I decided to throw the form in three pieces, base, top and neck and luted them together, covered it in plastic letting it equalize, tooled it the next day and waited until the last conceivable moment to thick slip the piece. The pot came out of the kiln last week, measured in at just under 21" and was immediately packed and shipped out the same day and that is why no photo is included. Hubris and routine will sneak up on you and give you a good smack every now and again which is probably a good thing for a necessary course correction.      

Illustrated is the culprit that got this adventure started basking in the sun in an old picture taken several years ago. Thick combed slip bottle about 12" tall with my AO+ glaze overall.

SIMPLE ACTION

Though I really enjoy a pot with a complex form and surface, simplicity has an allure that is just hard to explain but easier to understand when you are engaged with it. I think the difference is like the disparity between Beethoven's  HAMMERKLAVIER and Debussy's CLAIRE DE LUNE, where the one is complex and forceful and the later is calming, soothing and contemplative, in the end generally speaking, a simple pot with those characteristics wins me over most every time. This large Shino tsubo by Ando Hidetake is just such a pot, thrown round and flattened on each side, breaking the flow of the round form and the symmetry is altered with this simple action. Once dry and ready to fire, the surface had a white feldspar glaze poured over the surface where thinner areas have blushed to subtle fields and patches of iron red bringing movement and a simple landscape to life around the pot. Though simple in its form and approach to glazing, the scale of the henko-tsubo presents a sense of strength that exudes volume, commanding the space it is placed within and that is likely the feature that drives its character and appeals to me the most.

QUITE A HANDFUL

I have to admit, I really admire Kumano's optimism, just let me explain. Given the sheer size of this guinomi, just how many cups of sake (bourbon, whisky) can you imbibe before things begin to spin out of control, especially your head? That being said, beyond the optimism, I love the scale and command of the pottery of Kumano Kuroemon where size and strength are written across the landscapes of his pottery and I think this large size guinomi is no exception. As you can see in the photo, this Matsuzaka-Shino kakinoheta guinomi is quite a handful, with a sweeping form filled with movement and a surface casually and spontaneously glazed awaiting the touch and fury of his wood kiln where a coating of natural ash glaze brings the pot to life. The large undulating form is balanced on a rather sturdy base where the foot is cut as quickly and routinely as the pot was thrown and glazed but make no mistake, what appears random and carefree is practiced over decades of making and firing which culminates in each pot that is the last that he has made. This experience reaches its crescendo at the completion of yesterdays pots, building yet once again with the pots he sets about making tomorrow, that is the nature of a potter's work, especially one as bold and adventurous as Kumano Kuroemon.         

I considered Voltaire's quote, "Optimism is the madness of insisting that all is well when we are all miserable" but decided to end the week on a slightly different  tone;  "The place where optimism most flourishes is the lunatic asylum." Havelock Ellis

RINGS OF GRASS

Illustrated is another large terra cotta tebori carved platter with an inner and outer ring of the carved GRASSES pattern. I enjoy making plates from small luncheon plates to larger 24" wall pieces that are made so that they can hang on the wall as decoration or simple storage. For me making plates goes way back to diversifying what I was making early on at the suggestion of Dick Schneider at Cleveland State University. In the beginning all I wanted to make was teabowls as that was a primary interest and thanks to Dick I took up the challenge and decided there was a lot more to ceramics than making small bowls. 

Over the years I have made hundreds and hundreds of plates but love coming back to the black and white and carved black slip employed on terra cotta, perhaps it is the reminiscent comfort of those early days learning to make pots and trying just about whatever sprung to mind. The grasses pattern in particular has been a favorite to carve, the repeat and routine of removing slip to reveal the design exposes the richness of the red clay and once fired creates a great contrast between the clay and slip, the very simplest components of making pottery.

DEFINITIONS

I suspect it is rather easy to go down the rabbit hole of definitions but always ending up using terms like classic and traditional but when I first saw this pot, my brain immediately flipped through the dictionary and went directly to classic and traditional without a nano-second of hesitancy. This Shigaraki te-oke mizusashi was made by Takahashi Shunsai and there is a nearly identical piece in the catalogue; THE SHIGARAKI WARE; NAOKATA'S TEA WARE & SHUNSAI'S JARS on page 116, No. 138, both are very well fired though the catalogue entry has a slightly more distinctive firing pattern on the face of the mizusashi. What started centuries ago as an everyday wooden bucket and evoled into a ceramic object of use and ritual, this teoke mizusashi was created as an homage or copy of a traditional Japanese "hand bucket" were details of the pot are reproduced and marked in the clay from the twisted rope around the form, the wood slats and the all purpose, functional handle raising above the water receptical. The surface shows its direct placement in the kiln where ash and charcoal have painting the main part of the pot  while fly ash has landed and melted down various areas of the handle and supports adding more interest and variation to the humble form. As if the design, form and surface wasn't quite enough, the roiro, black lacquer lid (nuri-buta) is of the two part style, wari-buta* which is clearly custom made as they vary in size and each one fits specifically to one side of the pot due to the irregularities during the making and firing of the mizusashi. Ultimately my take away from seeing this mizusashi in person is that it is rather clear that near both (ceramic) dictionary entries for "Classic" and "traditional" there should be a picture of a pot exactly like this timeless Shigaraki mizusashi.

           

In addition to the photo of the mizusashi in question I snapped a quick picture out of the above mentioned catalogue to allow for easy comparison between the illustrated piece and the one that I was able to handle and study. As I mentioned there is a rather attractive design created by both fire and happenstance which I find quite compelling and has enriched the surface of the illustrated mizusashi quite a bit.   

 

( *On a side note, I graciously received some information regarding the mizusashi and lid from an advanced tea practioner in Australia who told me this style of lid, two part, no hinge, wari-buta, split lid is intended for winter tea ceremony as practiced by the Urasenke school. Further, the hinged style of wari-buta is intended for low, wide mizusashi known as hira-mizusashi.)

 

DRAMA NOT TRAGEDY

Over time I have spent a fair amount of time learning when and where I can and studying every pot that I could get my hands on and during all that time I think I have to admit my tastes are pretty eclectic though there are a few specifics that stand out and one of these is the mallet form. I am pretty sure my penchant for the kinuta is well documented in various other blog posts. As I think about the various interpretations of this simple form I always circle back to what I constantly consider the north star, the mallets of Arakawa Toyozo and how his handling of the anatomy of that pot has set a standard that spread throughout Mino and elsewhere. As you study the works of Arakawa students and their student' students it is easy to see many of the details, scale and proportions infused in these more modern works and those of Kato Kozo are no exception.        

Illustrated is as straight forward a Kato Kozo Ki-Seto kinuta form as one would hope to see, the proportions are spot on with an expanding taper from foot to shoulder and then from shoulder to mouth creating an engaging appearance that is not abrupt or in any way breaks the flow of the vertical movement. As can be seen even through the glaze there is just the right amount of articulation in the clay where the throwing marks on the neck create subtle visual furrows that are pleasing to the eye and create additional texture with the glaze and fired surface. As for the base of the pot, there is a good degree of well controlled spatula work created that moves up and down the form and established a faceted like quality to the pot. Having an experienced ideal, the simple but complex task of making these various decisions while the clay is still wet sets the canvas for what is yet to come, glazing and firing, both hopefully willing participants in the process when all goes well.       

At first glance the Ki-seto glaze appears to have been applied in a casual and hap-hazard manner but if so, that is guided by decades of making, glazing and firing and knowing what small action affects the outcome of the pot. Once glazed in varying thicknesses, the next choice is where should each and every pot be placed in the wood kiln and having watched a number of wood kilns of both glazed and unglazed pottery loaded for some potters this is where all the heavy lifting begins and ends. Each and every decision will have consequences and relying on years of firing and an intimate knowledge of the kiln, once having survived the firing a pot emerges and the surface is perfect, covered in areas of varying textures and glassy beads of ash that have burst through the surface to punctuate various areas in serendipitous jewels. The face ends up covered in a rich, crusty aburage style crust that adds layers of character and visual depth that in some respects allows its dark mantle to stand testament to the intensity of this final act of the process narrative, in this case a drama and not a tragedy. There is a lot that can be written about a good pot, a good mallet vase and what is a classic piece by a great potter and at some future date hopefully a slideshow will fill in this drama just a bit better than this static image and short description.

SQUARED UP, ASSEMBLED AND FIRED

A while back I posted up a greenware version of this thrown round, squared up and assembled stoneware vase and here is the finished piece. Glazed in my Kuro-Oribe glaze, I used a soft layer of iron over the form to keep from obscuring all of the marks and details around the piece from where I have left soft rasp marks, joints where the pieces and lugs where luted together, the pie crust impressions around the mouth and the subtle upturned areas that help define the base and foot area. As I mentioned previously, this was rather quickly thrown and built without any real desire to make a perfect geometric form, instead I did what I mostly do, I "eye-balled" the construction in the hopes that would add a sense of non-chalance to the vase. I have to admit that considering the bulk of my work is just thrown, these thrown, altered and assembled pieces are both a blessing and a curse as when things go well it feels like time well used but when things go wrong, they usually go very wrong. All in all I felt like this was time well spent and an investment into being thoroughly square.     

(I will admit this is not the best photograph but try as I might I just couldn't get the surface to "pop" and I am left with a bit of color and the overall form. Hopefully the sunlit detail will give a little more insight into the surface.)

HERE & THERE; KI-SETO EDITION

A while back I handled a rather nice, certainly exhibition quality Ki-Seto chawan by Hori Ichiro and even thought I had built a slideshow video of it I can't seem to locate it at the moment so I went with this picture for the time being. Though this is not the best quality picture, taken quite some time back, I set up this impromptu shot of the chawan in front of the exhibition catalogue that accompanied the bowl. The photo clearly shows the chawan in situ and in print but once again I am struck by the variation between the piece on the desk and in the catalogue. Though the print version is just a tiny bit out of focus, in certain respects they look like two chawan fired at either different times or in different locations in the kiln. 

Luckily I have handled the bowl and I can attest to the fact that it actually looks like both depending on how and where the teabowl is observed again a trick of the diversity of the light source(s). What I can tell you is that it is a rather classic example of Hori Ichiro's Ki-Seto work with a great texture and the waterfall of aburage styling across the face is just what I like as it blends back into the classic glaze texture. I am going to have to hunt around to see if I can find the original slideshow that I seem to remember making and if not, locate the photos and start again from scratch.

IRON TSUBO

Outfitted in mostly iron with hints of whitish feldspar showing through here and there, gravity plays a good role in the couture of this Oni-Shino ko-tsubo. Surrounded by droozy, running tendrils of mixed natural ash and iron this small iron tsubo was made by Tsukigata Nahiko and though clearly not a chaire, it is somewhat close to that scale at around six inches or so in height. As you can see in this photo this pot is covered, punctuated by speckles of iron rising to the surface adding to the visual texture of colors and effects colliding to create an ethereal sphere at home on a shelf or suspended in some distant and far off place. The form is simple, perhaps reminiscent of its larger cousins with just the right amount of movement accentuated by the throwing marks around the circumference of the pot with a distinct and determined foot and a mouth ringed in blend of ash and iron. I guess in the scheme of things this is a small, simple pot by Tsukigata Nahiko but the more you look the more there is to see and that is always my expectation of his work and the myriad of all things Oni-Shino.

EVERYONE'S FAVORITE POLYGON

While throwing either an order or a commission a few weeks back I took the time and made a square and a hexagonal teabowl to end my day on my own terms as what could be more exciting than creating a six sided polygon, everyone's favorite shape? Illustrated is the hexagonal bowl decorated in Narumi-Oribe style with rubbed iron panels with black decoration and sgraffito under a clear glaze with the remainder of the bowl glaze in Oribe. My goal was to get strong, accentuated lines between each plane of the hexagon and a good contrast between the clear and Oribe panels, I think I succeeded in my goal with that distinct contrast and absolutely no crawling from any surface incompatibility, for one of a series of one, this is about the best outcome I could have asked for.

KO-TSUBO III

Over the years I have seen a number of utsushimono of this particular form, perhaps the most notable by Tsujimura Shiro though this particular Iga ko-tsubo is by Imura Mitsuo. Small in stature and about the same dimensions tall as it is wide, this rough and tumble Iga ko-tsubo must have been fired in the perfect place in the kiln as the surface is a wonderful story of process and determination painting a rustic landscape that is what wood firing is all about. Beyond the wonderful shape and crisp delineation between body and shoulder it is the mouth that captivates ones attention all sharp, craggy and dog-eared resembling a mountain chain well off in the distance but able to fit in the palm of your hand. Though barely the size of a chawan, it is filled with character from its offset posture and vivid palette of ash coloration but it is the strength that you can't help noticing first and foremost that far exceeds its scale.

BAKED IN

I have written about the maker of this Shigaraki mizusashi, Ota Minoru on my blog before. I am intrigued by how he uses and works clay and how he interprets older forms with a unique and naïve style. As with this mizusashi, his pots have a casual, quirky and often wonky appearance made of clay with lots of feldspar which punctuates the pot like stars in the sky under the wood fired surfaces adding ash and hi-iro to the pot like a painter adding dabs and fields of color to his canvas. Beyond the feldspar and ash, this mizusashi is well articulated in marks from the potter both horizontally and vertically adding movement and dimension to the form, marks that are spontaneous and fierce like the fire that it had to survive. The posture and attitude of the piece exudes confidence and strength collected over years of working in clay and infusing it into each pot made. I have to admit, I have a fondness for pots that combine spontaneity, naiveté and honesty all in one package and this Ota mizusashi clearly has all those attributes and character all baked in.

PROTOTYPE REVISITED

Though it took some time to get this katakuchi prototype fired, illustrated is the final product. This thrown and altered piece was made a while back to show a customer who approved the design as soon as it was glaze fired and now the group of pieces are all made and bisque and waiting to be glazed and fired. As you can see this piece was glazed in a Kuro-Oribe style glaze that clearly shows the marks and texture on the clay surface from when the pot was thrown and altered where subtle faceted plans appear activating the pot along with the movement of the glaze. There are accents of rich blue-black on the spout and around the mouth of the form along with patches on the sides of this triangular pot. All in all the customer and I are happy with the results and now I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can get six pieces to match more or less with out any glaring inconsistencies out of the glaze firing.

HARMONIOUS CONNECTION

Many times when I am looking at tokkuri and guinomi pairing I think to myself that this was really a marriage of convenience and not really of a more harmonious connection. The attached photo(s) of yet another exceptional pairing of Kuro-Bizen tokkuri and guinomi by Oiwa Tomoyuki were very considerately assembled by a European collector in which the pieces are not only well matched but have the look of having been fired at the same time in the same kiln in near proximity to each other. On the rear of each piece is a near perfect match of color, running ash and texture shimmering in just the right amount of wetness while the faces are coated in a healthy coating of ash with hints of motion moving horizontally across the forms. The tapering vertical attitude and distinct posture of both tokkuri and guinomi creates that harmonious connection while the proportions create an ideal set where characteristics and character are simpatico. For two objects brought together under the skillful attention of a collector with just the right amount of input from the gallery owner and let's not forget the potter render an equation that is defined by far more than happenstance or convenience ending in an ideal pairing. 

WHAT'S OLD IS NEW

This wide shouldered jar is a classic utsushi-mono of a medieval Ko-Shigaraki tsubo made centuries ago but what's old (in appearance) is new in creation. made by Tani Seiuemon back in the mid-1990s, this tsubo exhibits all the classic and traditional characteristics of much older pottery with just the right amount of the potter's personal touch to show in the pot. The broad shoulders and animated form show off the right amount of slump caused by the intense wood firing of the original archetype which are skillfully mimicked in this pot to strike a rather natural and antiquated appearance. As mentioned in previous posts, Tani started off studying old Shigaraki pottery before ever making pots and when he did so, he brought his knowledge of all the aesthetics and forms that had preceded and infused it in to his works leaving quite a number of utsushi-mono, copies among his body of work. I have to admit that I really enjoy the naïve and honest qualities that surround this pot; carefully and skillfully created and manipulated to look quite casual and as much a result of the ferocity of the kiln rather than the hands of the potter.

ODDS & ENDS

Today was truly an odds and ends kind of day in the studio starting with getting everything cleaned up and put away after a recent glaze session and kiln firing. Once that was completed, I took the time to pack up several small commissions which didn't take a lot of time but I wanted out of the way. After this and after a quick lunch came the beginning of my throwing day which started with a group of porcelain test cups followed by a number of stoneware test cups and a group of some orders/ commissions which included some 14" serving bowls and a couple of serving plates as well. The day in the studio ended with me decorating up two stoneware teabowls that are orders from half way around the world. I decorated the first one as seen here and have decided to hold the back up just as thrown until the other is bisque, glazed and fired. Always a good idea to have a spare just in case an asteroid or some other calamity hits the studio.

SEMI-LINEAR

Illustrated is another Bizen chawan by Sakikabara Keishi though in this case it is left more or less as it was thrown with the exception of the foot. This Kuro-Bizen style chawan shows some small amount of manipulation creating a form both large and well suited to the hands showing off a rich lustrous surface and a fitting but slightly obtuse kodai. Despite the initial display of simplicity, there is a complex arrangement of texture to the clay and all natural surface with hints of spatula work and some other marks rendered by the potter and a well fired surface of rich diversity. As is abundantly clear, Sakikabara studied with Isezaki Jun in the late 70s and took away well learned lessons as to how best to make use of clay, surface and firing in which he crafted his own unique voice of modern day Bizen. Perhaps the biggest take away from this chawan is a well conceived blend of the old and new while moving in a semi-linear fashion within the Bizen tradition, using the best of both worlds. By putting forward a style influenced by time and archetypes, old and modern Sakikabara Keishi clearly has something new to say and that is locked deep inside a chawan just like this one.     

WELLSPRING

When someone casually mentions the Mino potter, Kato Toyohisa my mind immediately runs a slideshow of pictures of pots with thick, curdled Shino glazes, semi-iridescent Oribe and forms and pieces that are fairly modern in their orientation. This particular large and bold Shino vase has some of those elements infused into its bones and DNA but there are classic, traditional fundamentals at work here which clearly show where the potter and his pots drawn from, that wellspring that is Momoyama and old pottery. The form is encased in a pure white feldspar Shino that is rich in its opacity with hints, bold areas and flashes of iron red bleeding through like brush strokes on an abstract painting's canvas. There is a profusion of strength and nobility in the form and posture of this pot and I hope this short video slideshow captures some of the features that make this a rather alluring pot in person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngDdCckp444&ab_channel=CABatA3S

WAY BACK WEDNESDAY

I am still making some effort to convert old 35mm slides to digital images with some coming out better than others. This large, Albany slip glazed covered jar was in a recent batch made and fired in the last firing I ever did at Cleveland State University. Thrown loosely, well loosely for me that is, while it was firming up a bit I pulled it to one side to offset the symmetry of the piece. Once bisque the pot was glazed in an Albany slip glaze with a black overglazed sprayed across the surface and swiped diagonally around the piece. I decided to pull this out for way back Wednesday as it clearly defines a short moment in time a really long time ago where everything was an experiment and the less controlled the better. The times sure have changed where now I try to have a group of pots in every kiln that I am 99% certain they will come out as I expect* and control is more or less a good thing though admittedly something of an illusion.  

(*I am reminded of the boxing adage, "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face in that every potter thinks they know what to expect until they open the kiln.)

HALLOWEEN KORO

It might just be me but I thought this quirky Ki-Seto koro was perfect for a Halloween post. As soon as I first saw this piece I was struck by the interaction of glaze and texture and the outside of the box thinking regarding the cool form and exaggerated lid. This Ki-Seto koro was made by Toki native, Kato Mitsuhide who has exhibited routinely in the region and won several awards along the way as well as having pieces collected for permanent collection. The use of this particular Ki-Seto works hand in glove with this articulated, textural form where it runs for thick to thin and from dryish to wet and works to absolute perfection on the organic looking lid. I could say there are just tons of things that this wonderful pot reminds me of, but that would be a long list and take some time, let it suffice to say that I think it is perfect for Halloween, or any other day for that matter. No matter how many times that I look at this piece it constantly conjures up some emotion or another and it brings a slight smile to my face each and every time. Happy Halloween!  

FWIW I have put up a short Instagram video of this koro, perfect for Halloween; https://www.instagram.com/albedo3studio/

CONSIDERATION

Illustrated is a fairly large thrown, altered, faceted and manipulated "storage jar" made by Michael Simon. Though undecorated, the salt firing has created a soft, blushed sheen to the surface that helps accentuate all of the various lines from those incurred during the throwing process to those created while manipulating the form culminating in the broad faceting showing a spontaneous and sure handed cut. All of the various considerations or decisions  made along the way, achieved over a lifetime of making pots lead to their conclusion in a well conceived, animated and dramatic pot that is about as complicated as a simple pot ever gets.         

Looking at this covered jar it is rather clear that Michael Simon was very considered in making his pots though at the same time he embraces serendipity and spontaneity in their making. He considered the line, form, weight and volume of the various elements that created the aesthetic in clay that he was after consciously and unconsciously. The following is just a glimpse into his thought process as it relates to a good sized storage jar very similar to the piece illustrated;  "This pot began in my mind as a medium-sized storage jar, faceted nine times. The thick clay at the edge of the lid holds a substantial mass similar to the faceted walls of the pot. The profile of lid edge and clay wall unites in one line. Squeezing the bottom into a triangular shape before faceting invites the addition of short legs at the corners. These legs lift the pot and help define its structure. This jar benefits from one facet that resembles the human leg taking a step."  Michael Simon from "MICHAEL SIMON: EVOLUTION.

INSPIRATION, NOT ORIGINS

At first glance I think it would be difficult to see where this Kuro-Oribe covered cap jar came from or should I say more correctly, the inspiration, not origins of the pot. Over  the years I have long admired the sutra containers that I have encountered in various museums being especially fond of Nara period archetypes which in a wandering and not so direct path has lead me to this style of form that I have been making on and off for quite some time. In this particular case, the jar, lid and knob were made out of stoneware and the body of the form was covered, impasto style in a thick slip to create this vivid and animated surface. The knob was made out of a squared and loosely carved log of clay and attached to the lid imitating a type of stupa connecting the piece back to its origins of inspiration. This jar has a dark, Kuro-Oribe style surface that works rather well with the diagonally applied slip creating movement where the glaze is running down the furrows and channels and on the shoulder the iron has built up to create tendrils of effects which run somewhat and feed the tributaries below. I think once it is pointed out it is a bit clearer how this form came to be and though it clearly is intended for some other function these days, any use is fine from holding dry pasta to protecting rolled up documents and just about anything in between.

PARTIAL DEFINITION

Though I realize this is not exactly the best picture I have ever taken it is however the moment well over a decade ago that I realized how much I liked to see pottery partially defined by sunlight and shadows. This particular pot is a Hagi style chawan made by Tsukigata Nahiko in the late 1980s and what is rather clear in this picture is the strong form, controlled lip and distinctly cut kodai. As with many pots and their pictures, this is a chawan I would like to photograph again as this was originally shot with my old Sony Mavica with auto-focus and not a lot of room to be creative or adjust for varying light sources on the fly. At the end of the day, it is what it is photo-wise and that clearly shows off a silhouette of a rather purposeful and robust form from the hands of a master, Tsukigata Nahiko.

HAI-SHINO

Illustrated is a Hai-Shino guinomi that was hand formed and carved by Kowari Tetsuya. What should be immediately apparent and is exactly why I am a fan of Kowari's work is the spontaneous and directness that define much of his work. Pieces are thrown, manipulated, torn, ripped, fluted, carved, reattached in interesting and idiosyncratic ways that make it clear exactly who made the pot you are looking at. This particular guinomi was hand carved out of thick clay to create a generous interior, a highly active lip and an exterior that looks as if it were naturally formed where erosion has created channels down the form that fit the pot perfectly in one's grasp. With iron, ash and feldspar at his disposal, this Hai-Shino guinomi has a rather active and adventurous exterior where the material creates a surface reminiscent of geology at its best. Perhaps the best feature of this guinomi is the posture alluding to motion, a confident and determined swagger where the high points of each flute fills the hand and eye with texture where aesthetics and function collide making for a guinomi that exceeds its base purpose.     

Though perhaps a quote often used and a bit cliché, I thought it quite appropriate; "Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement."  W. Clement Stone

2D TEA PARTY

Back in the early 90s I ended up being included in a number of gallery exhibitions that revolved around the tea party theme, two in Cleveland alone. Since those were the days well before digital cameras and iPhone and film and developing were not cheap, I unfortunately have very few pictures from those shows and in fact that time period. As I have once again began trying to convert old 35mm slides in to digital images I ran across this old photo which besides having blurring hotspots from the tungsten lighting also crops off part of the image but I think you will get the broad idea of the platter. This was one of the large terra cotta plates, probably over 24" in diameter with black and white slip decoration of a theme I worked on at the time, "THE PERILS OF PARTYING" showing the animated teapot and teacups covering the surface. I am reasonably sure I only used this design motif for a short while and made less than a couple dozen plates, a group of various size tray forms and three or four teapots covered in teacups but the design as you can see did fit within the tea party theme despite not actually being teapots or cups and saucers. Making these plates afforded me another distinction in these shows, my plates hung on the wall and represented something a bit different than what most people coming to these exhibits expected not to mention taking up far less shelf space for the new owners.

ROYAL FLUSH

At over 14" tall, this jar immediately capture our attention at a gallery that we frequented on our drive between Cleveland and upstate New York back in the early 1990s. Though we are usually on the look out for small, more intimate pots this was a "has it all" kind of pot by a potter who I had communicated with (and later met at NCECA and several workshops), talking me through a serious clay problem and later through a glaze shivering issue, in these phone calls, John Glick was patient and shared endlessly with his base of knowledge. As you can imagine, stumbling on to this large jar was made all the better for the somewhat personal connection, well that coupled with the fact that I love covered vessels and the surface was just perfect and a bit surreal. The pot has a wide array of decoration all atop a wonderful, lustrous Shino glaze showing off iron, cobalt, copper and a sprinkling of ash to create a classic Glick jar that is unmistakable and never successfully duplicated. Presumably everyone that owns a good John Glick pot thinks theirs is likely the best but for us, the personal connection, the memories of his kindness is  just like a royal flush.

ANOTHER DAY A DIFFERENT ACCOUNT

So in terms of dealing with Instagram it has been an interesting couple of days, in other words, another day a different account. I was able to access my account one minute and then locked out the next. Over a 48 hours I tried everything possible and followed all of the "help" tips and instructions to no avail so starting a new page seems to be the next best option. As blasé as it may sound, though I like the community and seeing what other potters, craftsmen and artist are up to, I am not that motivated by the likes or followers though they are most welcome. When I started my Instagram page it was a lot like my pottery blog, I, POTTER, more about crystalizing my thoughts on objects and sharing what little I may in the way of my personal work and the pots, mainly Japanese that I come in contact with.  All that being said, as I am often reminded, I will start at the beginning and see what happens and where this goes. Though I may put up a few previously posted pictures from my original page just for familiarity sake, my intention is to just continue to move forward and post on a more or less daily basis. Any thoughts, remedies or criticism are welcome and received as they are intended.      

In an effort to bring this post back to the actual subject of pottery, here is a nice sunlit photo of the top half of a Shigaraki henko by Furutani Michio. Enhanced by the sun and perhaps a bit mysterious coming from out of the shadows what makes this slab henko just a bit different is that it is small, low and a bit long compared to the bulk of his pieces employing this building technique and formula. This piece has a low profile, sleek frame and just the right amount of ash and hiiro to animate the form and draw in one's attention. I should lastly point out the neck and mouth, made by the coil and throw method that is starkly different than those on the larger slab henko and this gives the piece a very distinct look among the other pieces of this style. In the end I find it so odd that changing just one detail can create such a disparate appearance from the pack.

Old locked account;  https://www.instagram.com/albedo3studio/

New account;             https://www.instagram.com/albedo3studio2/

PROTOTYPE

I was recently asked if I could turn one idea into another and make a tallish triangular katakuchi style pouring vessel and this is the initial prototype that I came up with to make in three dimensions. Obviously thrown and altered, rasped for both definition and texture and with a cut style spout applied, this pot is currently loaded in a bisque that I hope to get fired tomorrow.  Once bisque, the intension is to glaze this katakuchi in Kuro-Oribe style and hope the end product meets with the approval of the customer. This was not the only idea, which was drawn out as a lower, wider katakuchi but the taller version won out and here we are. 

The timing is good as a group of these are needed for New Years which gives me plenty of time to get eight made. Apparently these is no need for guinomi to go with these as he already has a good group to choose from but since I am always prone to making an extra or two I am likely to go ahead and make a few small cups to go along with the pouring vessels. That being said since I don't necessarily think small triangular pieces are perfect for drinking I wonder what I can come up with. Thank goodness for pencil, paper and eraser, saves on the clay cost and doodling/designing can happen anywhere and anytime.

PRETTY CLOSE

Illustrated is what can only be described as a classic, quintessential  Shigaraki Oni-oke mizusashi  by long time veteran potter, Okuda Eizan. Thrown out of a fairly processed Shigaraki clay, meaning less stones and inclusions in the clay, this pot is the perfect shape and size for use with just a few banded potter's marks running horizontally around the piece which terminates in a big, fat rolled lip which immediately captures one's attention. Okuda who is know for his firing style, katami-gawari where front and back have two distinct appearance though in this case it is not quite as night and day as I have seen on some of his anagama wood fired pots. The face of this mizusashi is covered in a sheet of glass which appears to be in perpetual motion away from the point of maximum inpact. fading away as running tendrils of ash embracing the piece before ending up spent of energy leaving an area of hi-iro abstractly decorated by running ash and large bidoro drips here and there. I don't think I can go so far as to say perfect surface and perfect form but it certainly does get pretty close.         

As for Okuda Eizan (B.1944), though perhaps not as well know or popular in the West, he springs from a family tradition working in Shigaraki Valley where he has shown his work over the decades as well as around all of Japan. Though best known for his wood fired Shigaraki pottery, Okuda has branched out and works in a wide variety of glazed ware adhering to the Urasenke tea school sense of teaware which at first glance would hardly be recognizable as work from his hand so diverse is his output. Added to a lifetime of discipline and exhibitions, Okuda received the patronage and guidance of the somewhat eccentric priest, Shimizu Kosho, head of the Todai-ji temple. Though this is an abbreviated biography, I think it is safe to conclude that Okuda Eizan is one of those individuals who likely personify the concept of adding as much to one's repertoire and plate to best understand all aspects of craft and art that much better, from pottery making to tea ceremony and their unending and unyielding symbiotic relationship.      

IRON ON IRON

From the moment I first saw a photo of this chawan, I was just drawn to the direct and playful nature of the bowl. The form is simple, honest and appealing but the addition of the tessha like iron glaze, almost calligraphic in nature is just fun, playful, exuberant that fits in the hand and blends function and poetry as effortlessly as a bird takes flight. Neither large nor small, this bowl has a strong form with just the slightest amount of unevenness around the lip while terminating in a kodai that is practical and sturdy showing off the softly textured clay that the pot was thrown from.     

From my perspective, this iron glazed chawan is a classic extension of the Kyoto aesthetic blended with an inexhaustible sense of exploration and experimentation regarding the use and potential for iron in glazes. The creativity of Shimizu is not only easy to witness in this chawan but in the majority of his work over five decades of working in clay. Though this is an older work, this chawan, expressed with the use of iron on iron, demonstrates an insight and understanding into iron as paint together with the skillful choice of clay and form as canvas to bring life out of a handful of natural materials now manifest as an object that stands the test of time and appears to have had a good time while doing so.

WARP SPEED

I showed this bowl to a friend a while back and his first comment was, "warp speed ahead" as it reminded him of any number of sci-fi movies where the spaceship is moving quickly through space and passing by countless stars. After he made the comment I could clearly see how he interpreted the surface interior also simulating just a hint of the expanding universe. As for the bowl itself, this is a bowl I have made quite a few of over the years, sometimes sake cups, condiment bowls, teabowls, what have you thrown out of various clays though this one is stoneware with indented lobes. The pot is base glazed in temmoku and then dipped in a wood ash glaze and as it runs it leaves this rather defining golden brown lip which I think adds quite a nice effect to the piece. I think at the end of the day, I really don't care what you see but that in looking it brings up some memory, experience or your own allusion and that being the case, I have done the best that I could.

KONDO KOHIKI

Old, antique and honest spring to mind as I look at this kohiki chawan. I see the origins of Korean pottery rooted in the very soil and surface of this chawan and in fact the work of much of the pottery made by Kondo Saeki. The bowl form is unpretentious, practical and eminently functional for tea ceremony or an evening meal yet there is a hint of subtle and sequestered nobility that is like an aroma surrounding the bowl. The surface is old, desiccated even but full of movement and life down to the fractured and crackled slip covering the iron rich clay to the alkaline appearance of the glaze that pools and runs to create a rich blue green tint that is pleasant to the eye and adds to the overall aesthetic of simplicity balanced with complexity.    

Kondo Saeki has dedicated his creation to explore slipware and has mastered this style of kohiki ware as passed along to him by his master, potter and scholar, Koyama Fujio. Kondo opened his own studio and kiln in the mid-70s, Haruzawa-gama in Mizunami, Gifu Prefecture where he has challenged himself to create fine works inspired by and dedicated to his master (Koyama) that show the classicism of modern Japanese wood fired kohiki ware. This particular chawan has a richness and complexity of surface that has sprung from the simplest of techniques; throw a bowl, dip it in slip and then glaze and fire it, which kind of reminds me at its core of Sen (no) Rikyu's explanation of the tea ceremony, "first you boil water and then you make tea and drink it".