RARE AND UNUSUAL

When I first saw this Shigaraki mizusashi it immediately reminded me of a rather important piece by Kato Tokuro that was made in Showa 48 (1973) and that I think of as a somewhat rare and unusual example of his work being best known for his Shino, Ki-seto and Seto-Guro. Looking at this mizusashi I can see details that certainly show the influences of the Tokuro piece in this rustic and casual pot which is only natural since the maker, Ando Hidetake studied under him beginning in 1960 and was more than likely acquainted with the original. Though I clearly see the influence of the master in this pot the form is lighter in attitude, casual in its throwing and in the way the lugs are attached and very little was done to put marks on the pot allowing the earthy, rocky clay and the fire to carry out the majority of the "decoration" as it were. The pot has a slightly wet coat of ash across the majority of the face while the rear has patches of a rich hi-iro punctuated by the appearance of the rocky clay and feldspar coming out of the clay. There are a pair of cumbly lugs attached to the pot adding a hint more of an anthropomorphic presence which is tied into the knob on the lid which completes the pot. 

Though this is a classic pot by a well known Mino tradition potter, the form, posture and animation of the piece is clearly duplicated in the numerous other mizusashi that Ando has made in varying incarnations of Shino and his unique Ko-Mino works as well. At some level it may be fair to say this is a rare and unusual work by Ando Hidetake but truth be told if you look at enough work and through enough catalogues there is just enough Shigaraki pottery to say that they were made every now and again and more than likely when just the right mood struck him.