ONI-OKE

I can't honestly say I have an in-depth knowledge of where the oni-oke mizusashi, oni's bucket style mizusashi came from other than it was adopted from a utilitarian form made in Shigaraki prior to the popular advent of the tea ceremony. This form was conscripted for use by tea masters with the simple addition of a wood and/or lacquer lid and they were off and running. Over the subsequent centuries oni-oke remained somewhat popular and the local Shigaraki potters continued to make the form specifically for chanoyu with the addition of a ceramic lid on the odd occasion but mostly relying on a lacquer lid made by a specialist, a modern interpretation by Kishimoto Kennin. The more typical oni-oke is a bit lower and wider than is this pot which appears more like a hoso-mizusashi but the form is stylized and simple with just a touch of flair and a strong rolled lip and was intended as a devil's bucket. I think this conveys Kishimoto's classic use of clay, his rich hi-iro and firing and a finished pot that owes a touch of its presence to a time when pots had less to do with the tea ceremony and everything to do with purpose and daily humility.