Monday, November 14, 2022

HARMONIOUS CONNECTION

Many times when I am looking at tokkuri and guinomi pairing I think to myself that this was really a marriage of convenience and not really of a more harmonious connection. The attached photo(s) of yet another exceptional pairing of Kuro-Bizen tokkuri and guinomi by Oiwa Tomoyuki were very considerately assembled by a European collector in which the pieces are not only well matched but have the look of having been fired at the same time in the same kiln in near proximity to each other. On the rear of each piece is a near perfect match of color, running ash and texture shimmering in just the right amount of wetness while the faces are coated in a healthy coating of ash with hints of motion moving horizontally across the forms. The tapering vertical attitude and distinct posture of both tokkuri and guinomi creates that harmonious connection while the proportions create an ideal set where characteristics and character are simpatico. For two objects brought together under the skillful attention of a collector with just the right amount of input from the gallery owner and let's not forget the potter render an equation that is defined by far more than happenstance or convenience ending in an ideal pairing.