AS OLD AS THEY COME

Illustrated is one of those medieval looking pots, looking as old as they come relative to the actual archetypes of the Momoyama and early Edo era that is. I enjoy pieces like this that exude a sense of antiquity and having been witness to history along the way even though they are more or less modern. I say more or less modern because this is an early pot by Iga potter Kojima Kenji, likely made in the 1980s and as such modern is somewhat relative. As soon as you see this rugged hanaire it is easy to see how sturdy and practical the form and weight are, trust me, put a branch in this piece and the vase isn't going to tip over on you, weight was a secondary concern to functions and the aesthetics of the piece. As may or not be evident, during the firing an angular bed of charcoal built up around the base contributing to the surface of the vase which shows some very nice ash build up around the shoulder, lugs, neck and mouth with highlights of glassy green here and there as the heat of the firing worked its magic on the contents of the kiln. The general attitude of the vase coupled with the anthropomorphic attributes of the lugs give the pot a wonderfully animated posture and a good amount of character as well. As I said, I like pots that conjure up thoughts of antiquity which always brings me back to the expression, "everything old is new again" and that is at the very heart of this Iga vase.