GIFTED

I recently posted up an old photo of a Ki-Seto chawan by Kishimoto Kennin on my Instagram page and as fate would have it is now in hand and ready for its close-up. The collector who sent this my way is down-sizing his collection and thought I would appreciate the bowl and rest assured Kishimoto is one of my favorite potters who has tackled and master a wide array of pottery from Iga to kannyu style seiji and quite a bit in between. As you can see this gifted chawan has a classic style form with a nice amount of lift off the foot, a centrally raised border around the pot and a very study and practical lip that softly undulates bringing ones attention to the interior of the chawan. The interior is composed of mostly a glassy Ki-seto style surface while the face has a scorched aburage quality with the areas feathered out to each side create a beautiful transition to the yellow ash cloaked rear. I should mention that both of the transitions form effects where ash combined with the glaze and has created rather attractive and animated waterfall of ash running down the sides with a slight nudge by heat and gravity. As for the foot which is exposed clay, it shows off the sandy quality of the clay surrounded by glaze and is as crisp as the day it was cut, perhaps 40 years ago. It is quite clear that Kishimoto kennin was using various historical Ki-Seto chawan as his inspiration especially in the form but the surface has that 20th century look that can easily remind one of the work of Arakawa Toyozo and Kato Touro and if you are going to be influenced by other potters are there any better than those two giants?