TUMULTUOUS PROCESS

Illustrated is a medium size Shigaraki tsubo, though of simple form it is the firing that really grabs your attention and hold it as there is movement and ash enough for several pot. Made by Koyama Naohiko, son of Koyama Kiyoko, it is the simplicity and modest scale of the pot that has acted as the perfect clay canvas for what can only be described as a very fine firing. As evidenced by the clam shell scar at the extreme left of the pot, this was fired on its belly and the ash that built up had nowhere to go but down and thanks to gravity this beautiful cascading landscape was created. Like a small chawan by the same potter that I put up some time ago this tsubo is covered from top to bottom and in 360 degrees with varying ash and ash effects making for a rather contemplative vessel where the potter gave way to serendipity and happenstance of what can be a tumultuous process, wood firing at its best.