EIZO GOSU

I am more than aware that the end of deliberating, no one come close to the works of Kawai Kanjiro that studied under his roof. At one level it would be a disservice to the master to copy his works without adjusting the pieces to create one's own idiom and on the other hand, how do you copy perfection? As you look at Kawai's students, each of them have perfected some style or form that gets to the heart of the master's work even though it falls just short but among those, Mukunoki Eizo had a knack for creating gosu hakeme works that embrace the original sentiment and aesthetic while clearly being the work of the actual maker. This sturdy henko composed of ideal proportions has a power to its form and the surface has that an echo of the Kanjiro voice that made this thick brushed slip pieces so alive and animated.      

In the case of Mukunoki he has arrived on a rather solemn and stately form, a perfect blend of master and student raised on a slight pedestal foot and finished off with a delicate though purposeful neck and mouth offset in attitude from the square base. The slip is roughly applied and then finger swiped creating a vertical movement that compliments the vase and acts to trap and pool some of the rich, deep blue gosu that is added as the final gesture of creation prior to being fired. The contrast of dark to lighter hues adds an inviting narrative to the landscape of the geometric form while softening the angles and planes of the molded henko to create an organic appearance to the overall pot. There is a sense of history in this form which relies on ideas that are both ancient and modern, the slight curve and taper to the lines set up a dynamic that grabs the eye and the use of the opposing planes on neck and body further create a visual tension that makes the pot just spring to life.  Admittedly no one comes close the genius and mastery of Kawai Kanjiro but with students like (and not exclusive to) Mukunoki Eizo he has clearly reached  a higher bar and the Kawai traition is carried on and brought yet another generation into the future.