INSPIRATION, NOT ORIGINS

At first glance I think it would be difficult to see where this Kuro-Oribe covered cap jar came from or should I say more correctly, the inspiration, not origins of the pot. Over  the years I have long admired the sutra containers that I have encountered in various museums being especially fond of Nara period archetypes which in a wandering and not so direct path has lead me to this style of form that I have been making on and off for quite some time. In this particular case, the jar, lid and knob were made out of stoneware and the body of the form was covered, impasto style in a thick slip to create this vivid and animated surface. The knob was made out of a squared and loosely carved log of clay and attached to the lid imitating a type of stupa connecting the piece back to its origins of inspiration. This jar has a dark, Kuro-Oribe style surface that works rather well with the diagonally applied slip creating movement where the glaze is running down the furrows and channels and on the shoulder the iron has built up to create tendrils of effects which run somewhat and feed the tributaries below. I think once it is pointed out it is a bit clearer how this form came to be and though it clearly is intended for some other function these days, any use is fine from holding dry pasta to protecting rolled up documents and just about anything in between.