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.