$5 FRAME

I'll start out by saying that this porcelain Kutani tile is not some incredible work of art and over the years I have seen nearly identical examples but rather it is the story that is of more interests all these years later. At one time we had this up on our wall but given how precious wall space is these days, it has been sitting in a big blue tote downstairs where I happened across it the other day. While at Brimfield a long time ago we happened across a dealer who was selling frames for $5, $10, $25 and $50 a pop many of them with prints still in them, we found this frame for $5 with this Kutani Ryusen plaque in it so we purchased it along with three other frames (well prints really) but that is a story for another time. I think what interested me the most about this plaque is the exceptional level of skill used to paint and fire it over repeated firings, no small feat to end up with a perfect piece time and again. As a potter, semi-commercial or not having worked with enamels from time to time I can tell you that it takes a great degree of patience and experience and at the end of the day, for the price of a Big Mac and Coke I think it was hard to go wrong.