A CLEAR PICTURE

Illustrated is a wonderful little Iga tokkuri by Hasu Yoshitaka with a dark, ash encrusted surface and lots of activity that a European collector sent me pictures of recently. I am a big fan of the prominent shell scars on the face of the pot where it was fired laying down which also resulted in the ominous drop of ash lingering and defying the laws of nature but adding to the tension of the piece. Perhaps as a page borrowed from his master, Banura Shiro, Hasu has carved undulating furrows around the tokkuri creating a very nice sense of movement and also adding quite a bit to the textural experience and allowing some addition ash and glaze to build up. This is one of those pots that at first glance appears to be a rather spontaneous creation but as I look at the piece in a number of photos sent it is rather clear that the potter had a good idea, a clear picture of the finished presentation and a bit of experience with the process and if you want proof just look at the simple posture and defiant pose of the lip and you will have all that you need.