A HAPPY COUPLE

Obviously following in the footsteps of his master (Kakurezaki Ryuichi), this graceful set was made by modern Bizen potter, Oiwa Tomoyuki. This photo was provided by a European collector who likes to assemble sets, carefully selecting, collecting and curating his collection that like this set clearly shows a conscious eye and in interest in modern, sculpturally oriented pieces. Like his previous animated sets by Fukushima Kazuhiro, this set is also in movement though more like a spire, emerging from the surface while the liquid ash runs down the vertical surface painting the angular planes like an abstract canvas with a solitary drip hanging off the mouth like a beacon from a watch tower. The sharp angles and vivid, faceted and jagged cuts breath life in to this rising form while the singular guinomi accompanies its tokkuri  wrapped in a soft and seductive layer of ash and a sharp yet inviting lip is ready to be impressed in to service. 

At first glance the angular tokkuri and soft, simple guinomi may seem an incoherent match but as opposites often attract each piece is created with a singular purpose in mind, one to pour and one to accept the beverage clearing showing the creative diversity of the potter as well as the necessary mechanics of function. Whether in use or occupying a humble display, this pair is clearly like a happy couple who in their differences compliment and balance each other out perfectly.

ALL WHITE

I decided to show this mostly all white bottle from long ago and far away against two different backgrounds to try to show the characteristics of both the slip and glaze on the bottle. I have been playing with making kohiki style pieces on and off for a very long while and this is one of the pieces from a distinct batch that I fired in particular as each group changed depending on the nuka and wood ash sources. The slip is a heavy kaolin based recipe that goes on the pot at leather hard, bone dry or bisque and the clear is made of a combination of nuka and wood ash making for a nice surface. As you can see in the photos, the pot was dipped in the slip and then I poured a small amount around the pot while holding it upside down to encourage the slip to run toward the neck and mouth of the piece. This gives the pot a little more interest and makes the surface appear to defy gravity just a bit. At the end of the day it is a simple bottle with a simple surface and minimal decoration but I think it would look nice with a big red bloom in it; Rosanjin may be right, a pot in use is a complete pot.

THE INTERNET

Not that it has taken me this long to figure this out but the internet can be a great place, well most of the time. I was strolling around the web a few weeks back and stumbled onto a dealer on Amazon of all places with art books, catalogue and magazines and as I looked  around I found an old copy of ART GRAPH from the late 80s, a publication from Japan, a library discard from California. On the cover was a tiny entry that simple said in kanji, TSUKIGATA NAHIKO, so the price was right and I ordered it. The picture illustrated is the back cover of the over-sized publication, this wonderful full cover shot of a crusty Oni-Shino tsubo with enough charisma and character for a dozen or more pots. This particular pot is also in a small portfolio that I have, though at a much smaller scale and considering this piece is an O-Tsubo I can only imagine the impression it must make in person.  Inside the publication was an unexpected bounty of paintings, pottery, calligraphy, bronzes and carved wood panels by Tsukigata Nahiko giving a rather informative snapshot into a specific time period in the same way that the seminal work, ONI-SHINO did for the very early 1970s. Though it was a low and inexpensive risk, I am glad I took it and now have dozens and dozens of new images to use as baseline pieces in a study of a potter who wasn't content to work within the lines and definitely thought, worked and certainly glazed outside the box.

USAGI TWOSOME

This porcelain kogo and koro set made of a dense, hard off white porcelain and then meticulously overglaze decorated  was made by Kozan-gama potter, Ono Shoji (1927-2006). Though not likely as well known as his famous sister, Ono Hakuko, Ono Shoji was the son of Kozan-gama founder, Ono Kozan in Saga prefecture in Kyushu and later went on to inherit and run the pottery which is now run by Ono Tatsuro. As you can see from the photo, both the tripod koro form and the kogo are classic Saga style archetypes based on usagi-zu (rabbit) motifs and it is the matching decoration that clearly identifies the set as that of Ono Shoji. Ono Shoji specialized in minute and meticulous detail using older historical design elements together with his own unique twists on the old and new painting his way in enamel to this modern style. Though generally not overly complicated designs, the playful quality of the surfaces are well aided by the movement that is caught in the frolicking rabbits around the piece and even the perceived rustling of the leaves that encapsulate the forms like organic netting. Housed together in a signed wood box this fun set of kogo and koro is perfect as the snow thaws, the foliage greens and rabbits take the field.

THREE OR EEEs

Large black and white slip trailed bowl covered with three or Es depending on how you want to look at it. Thrown out of my terra cotta clay this is a shallow serving bowl that is perfect for a slightly larger gathering and catering as well that has a drop down style flange, the extended lip which is great for helping maneuver the bowl around with or without oven mitts. As with most of my larger serving pieces, the foot ring is pierced with two holes that allow either a wire or sturdy string to act as a hanger which allows the bowl to be hung on the wall for storage if one so desires. As you can see the black is a deep, dark black which makes a great contrast for the the raised white slip and to be honest after all these years of working in this style I can't think of a better combination that black & white.

REARVIEW

Illustrated is what would be considered the rear view, the reverse of this Shigaraki mizusashi but to be perfectly transparent you are looking at the bottom of the pot as it was actually fired. The wonderful blue-grey ash is at home as the base coat for the running ash, collecting as thick drips are flanked by shell scars from where the pot was propped up off the shelves or floor of the kiln. This particular Shigaraki mizusashi was made by Kon Chiharu and though our encounter was extremely brief  I managed to take quite a few photos before packing it up and sending it on its way to the owner. Like most of Kon Chiharu's work, the first consideration is function, a dedication to purpose followed by creating forms that are best suited for and accentuated by the anagama kiln firings. Based on this rear view and the well fired, all ash face it is clear that this mizusashi was placed in a premium vantage point in the kiln while the lid which was not fired on the pot was placed elsewhere though the lid and other side of the piece match up quite well in terms of ash coverage and coloration. There is a lot to see in this pot as it was painted and narrated by fire and ash that presents a enigmatic landscape that blends medieval tradition with a creative modern approach that in this case is associated with the Niigata potter, Kon Chiharu.

TALES FROM THE BOOKSHELVES

I posted up a picture of a Tsukigata vase being used as a rather exotic bookend and had wondered, what the bookend may be at the other end? The collector sent me a few photos and this is one of the pictures from his DVD shelves which I thought was kind of neat, an old Oribe vase form that I had made quite some time back. Of course I knew he owned it, I sent it to him as part of a swap for a group of hard to find 80s cds, but I was unaware how or where it was displayed. I have shown this vase on my blog years ago as part of a pair that were meant to match with one going to one coast and one going to the other. This Oribe vase was thrown, altered, reassembled, incised and glazed in one of my original Oribe glazes and it is quite nice to know it is at home with Dexter, Blade and a Tsukigata Nahiko all telling their tales from the bookshelves.

OLD BOOKS, OLD POT

I guess in the overall scheme of things, this group of old books and old pot aren't really all that old and thinking about it, they aren't really that old in the complete history of 20th century Japanese ceramics. Dating from Showa 56 (1981) the set of books post-date the pot perched up on them that recently arrived by post and was made by Takahashi Rakusai III (1998-1976) though they, the books did make a good momentary platform for an impromptu photo of the chawan. The books have been around for some while and were out as I was working on some info for a friend regarding a recent acquisition he had made but the pot which was expected, more or less only arrived this weekend.    

For some brief context, the chawan was bought off of the rather ubiquitous auction website almost 20 years ago and sat in the box in a closet ever since and while doing some early spring cleaning the teabowl and some other pots were uncovered and several came my way to have a look at by snail mail parcel select. The other pots were of not much interest overall but I thought this Takahashi Rakusai III Shigaraki chawan to be rather nice with a decent firing and a well cut kodai and his seal stamp affixed near the foot. Unlike most of the "Rakusai" bowls encountered which seem to be by Rakusai IV, pots by the third generation show up quite a bit less frequently. Like many of Rakusai III chawan, this is a bit on the small side with a nice thrown rhythm in the clay which makes for a nice surface to add natural ash and hi-iro to during the wood firing process. As I mentioned the kodai is classically cut for the potter and shows a repetitious skill and certainty that leaves no room for hesitation of error. The irony is that as I look through these older ceramic references and playfully fondle this chawan my mind strays to the big question, where would Shigaraki pottery be today if it weren't for Takahashi Rakusai III?

MORE GOLDEN BROWN

I put up a post some while back on Iga potter Atarashi Manabu, part of the younger group working within the Iga tradition while at the same time working to expand the definition of the style. The previous chawan was more modern, experimental to a degree and not what one would think of as conventional, this evocative golden-brown chawan on the other hand is a far more traditional approach to the style and fits the boundaries of chadogu much more easily. The form of this Iga chawan is classically proportioned and fits well in the hands with a comfortable uneven-ness to the lip and a simple yet well conceived kodai and mikomi but the surface is that wonderful amalgam of ferocity, movement and frozen in the moment ash that brings the bowl to life and pleases those senses it directly interacts with.   

Fired at an angle on its side the ash built up on the bowl, turned to liquid in the promethean furnace and ran across the surface at a diagonal ultimately intersecting and concluding in rich, deep brown-green bidoro drips that have dodged the shells that propped up the bowl and have permanently scarred the surface. This is a rather enjoyable chawan with hints of tradition and modernism colliding in a chawan that is filled with character and enthusiasm, a bowl that seems to understand it doesn't have to be taken so seriously to be appreciated, enjoyed and used.

FUJINA-YAKI

I wonder if I would sound cynical if I said that after the initial wave of mingei potters and their offspring and students the movement has become a bit distilled more to the idea than the practice of the original intent and ideals? I am not saying the folk craft movement has ground to a halt but rather much of the idealism and enthusiasm of the drive seems to be less pervasive than it was in the 1960s and 1970s. The initial group find common ground with William Morris and John Ruskin who pioneered the Arts & Crafts movement under the guidance and philosophies of Yanagi Soetsu, Bernard Leach and Hamada Shoji spread these ideals among a wide group of their students and it was a determined group of three of these students that took steering the helm of the movement thru the end of the 20th century. Under the guiding light of Hamada Shinsaku, Shimaoka Tatsuzo and Funaki Kenji, all three Hamada pupils, the basic ideals of mingei pottery made there way into another generation of potters who incorporated the teaching and simple nobility of the movement in to their works, folk craft or otherwise.  As mentioned one of the three biggest proponents of the second wave of mingei potters was Funaki Kenji (1924-1997) who made this simple and honest chawan.      

Illustrated is a chawan made in the mid-1980s by Funaki Kenji, thrown out of a coarse, iron rich clay that was then covered in a white slip. The slip has been very simply combed, a style his father Michitada was also well known for and then the pot was glazed to create lighter areas around the form to show off the decoration. This style of ameyu glaze is another mainstream feature of the signature Fujina-yaki style that Bernard Leach first lauded as classic pottery folk craft , mingei in practice. This chawan is finished off with a simple foot that aids in collecting the glaze and allows the potter to get a firm grip when dipping the piece in glaze as well and the interior of the foot is well excised of clay leaving no fancy or superfluous flourishes as one would expect from this style of pottery. At the end of the day this chawan stands the test of the mingei moniker and though simple and unpretentious it is hard to ignore the "beauty born of use" concept baked in this quiet and capable bowl.

STARTING WITH THE BONES II

Quick update, illustrated is one of a group of teabowls I made trying to get to the simplest form that was practical and had movement and eye interest. The clay I used was a new stoneware I am mixing up with sand mixed in of varying size. Once thrown the forms were slightly altered by minimal faceting or scraping the surfaces to expose the clay and sand with the intention of using my Oribe, Kuro-Oribe or this iron yellow (saffron) glaze over a thin Hagi style white glaze (haku-yu). As you can see in the picture gravity has once again done a good deal of the heavy lifting in decoration this teabowl with the addition of the faceted areas adding a diagonal movement to the surface. Having opened up the clay surface prior to glazing the surface now is uneven and punctuated with areas of pits and highpoints from the protruding sand and grit making for a very textural appearance and feeling in hand. I think that with this group, there are several more to fire in an upcoming firing, I have gotten pretty close to basically starting at the beginning with the advantage of having some amount of experience and technology to add to these elemental forms.         

As a postscript, like most of the glazes I have been working with, each light source creates its own version of the surface and ultimately the bowl.

F+WJH=SG

Funky with a dash of "what just happened" describes this earthy Iga vase using my particular vernacular which is about as timeless as they come. I love pots that display this degree of casualness and there certainly is no lack of bravado or even a hint of symmetry but what else would one expect from Suzuki Goro who has made a career out of doing what just comes naturally along a path that is definitely less traveled. Made out of a coarse Shigaraki (?) clay, the pot was thrown quickly, loosely and with little concern for the weight of the finished object, once thrown the piece had lugs attached to either side of the neck while the piece was still quite wet culminating in an object that has a rather natural quality to it. This pot just exudes function, stability and a liveliness that seem to come along with Goro's pots as expected as the surprise toy in a box of Cracker Jacks. 

Though not necessarily known for his haikaburi (Shigaraki) style pots, I have seen quite a few and it is obvious that this sturdy vase was fired in a great spot in the kiln producing a rather wonderful surface painted by ash and flame. Of particular note is where the ash built up on the right side of the vase, the ash has pooled on the depressed shoulder and then the clay eroded just a bit unleashing the small but noticeable waterfall of molten glass now forever frozen in mid-stream. In the end where ever you fall on the like or dislike wood fired pots it would be difficult to just walk past this vase without giving it a more than thorough once over and thinking it is maybe betwixt and between then and now.

DIVERSITY

I think that it is easy to admit how much diversity of surface and firing there is in any given tradition though I am most specifically talking about the six ancient kilns (Rokkoyo). There are a multitude of variables from type of clay,  time of year, wood sources, weather and firing practices among others that have a direct outcome on the surface that can make classifying a particular piece with a specific tradition a bit trying. I think to a certain degree that is the case with this particular chawan that could, I believe pass for Shigaraki, Echizen, Bizen or Iga though based on the potter who made the piece and what the box says it is clear this piece is Iga and made by Kojima Kenji in the 1990s.    As is obvious in the picture, the form is a typical form used by Kojima Kenji and the surface shows off a rather good firing and skillful use of the kiln but the surface has characteristics that are not always top of mind being a bit drier, more opaque and dense green ash deposits and the rear of the bowl having a distinctly not necessarily Iga appearance. My thought process is that this chawan was in a spot that was initially rather hot during the firing and then cooled somewhat slowly allowing a more crystalline structure to develop leading to this particular surface that both is Iga and not "classically" Iga at the same time. I think it is also safe to say that the diversity within these specific traditions is what has kept them so contemporary and alive over the centuries and has allowed them to continue on in to the 21st century.