I
just love the appearance of the curdled glaze sandwiched between two fields of
thick ash coated Shino on the upper wall and lip and the interior of this large
chawan. This rich detail comes for the interior of a large chawan by Kumano
Kuroemon if you hadn't already guessed the maker. This particular chawan is a
balanced mixture of these and other effects and textures around the exterior of the
piece making for a rather profound and captivating landscape that
few other than Kumano can create by serendipity, firing after firing.
Adding to the overall aesthetic experience is the fact that this is a fairly
large chawan which gives the viewer even more to look at, study and enjoy from
moments of simple, straight forward effects to those over the top, bold and
complex combinations of feldspar, ash and fire. In the end I guess it all comes
down to years of experience and a willingness to run head long into pushing clay
and glaze to the extreme brink of failure and when you are willing to take those risks
with those risks can come great rewards, for both potter and collector alike.
.JPG)