GBNF II

Though now and again I write or post up pots that I have not handled, when all things being equal I would prefer to have handled the piece so that I have a better sense of how the piece presents itself in hand. This illustrated Oni-Shino chawan by Tsukigata Nahiko is a piece that spanned both scenarios, for quite some time I was only able to see the bowl by various photos sent to me by the owner but over time the owner decided to sell the pot and I was able to study the piece in hand.   

The picture I am using was taken by the original owner and the following is how I described the chawan several years back;  "Large, Momoyama inspired, Shino chawan by the master potter and legendary personality; Tsukigata Nahiko (1923-2006). Though it is easy to spot some influences of his master, Arakawa Toyozo, this chawan is all Tsukigata Nahiko. The vivid iron slip shows, like a shadow, under the feldspar Shino glaze with rich areas of natural green glassy ash coating the surface and iron accents about the lip and showing through the surface. There are also frosty white areas on the face of the bowl where Tsukigata resisted the iron slip to create an evocative spring like pattern of flowers. The classic bowl form is completed with the potter's signature kodai and bold, impressionistic signature."  

As you can see this is a pretty good description of this Oni-Shino bowl though in retrospect I think I would have called attention to the semi-lustrous nature of some of the iron that has perculated out through the feldspatic glaze as well as the perpetually wet appearance that gives the chawan a rather appealing overall appearance. Part of the wetness of the surface comes from a coating of natural ash that built up and melted across some of the piece including around the lip which helps high light that area. All in all a rather enjoyable chawan to have around if only for a brief while and though it is a cliche I use all too often, thanks to all the pictures I was provided and that I took in situ, "gone but not forgotten".