DYED SURFACE

I had this nunozome dyed mizusashi here some while back and was pleasantly surprised by the rather festive and lively atmosphere that it gave off. The variations of color, the addition of gold overglaze and the placement of the decoration created a sense of constant movement and visual conversation that was appealing and playful while being solidly thrown as a functional vessel. Made out of Arita clay, the whiteness of clay and the semi-vellum nature of the hakuji glaze is a perfect canvas for the methodical process of applying pigment saturated paper to the surface to create the overall unique and colorful design. Once fired the potter came in and added highlights of pure gold to the various devices to punch up the overall decoration and add even more depth to the surface. Made by nunozome specialist Uwataki Katsuji, he pulled from the Arita tradition of pottery to present this somewhat unique take on pottery decoration to create this readily identifiable surface that has now been passed on to his son, Uwataki Koichi as well. Though I do not routinely do chanoyu, I can clearly see this piece in use during the ceremony or honestly it is likely to be just at home up on a shelf or table top demanding the attention I think it deserves.