MILESTONE

Almost two years ago the wife of a fellow collector contacted me and asked if I would be willing to help her sell off a small collection of modern Japanese pots as she decided to part with them, one at a time where she has set the price. As with a number of people, her husband passed away due to the pandemic and I was more than happy to help her with his collection. The most recent piece to sell was the Yoshida Yoshihiko chawan (of which there is a complicated and loathsome story to go along with that sale) and then she let me know that she is sending me a pretty Oribe bottle. 

Illustrated is a rather wonderful Oribe bottle/ tokkuri that measures just about 19cm tall and made by Okabe Mineo. It is hard not to be impressed while handling this piece from the sharp and angular form, the rhythm of the throwing marks, the wonky lip and mouth and the richness of the variegated Oribe glaze that coats the pot. As you can see in the photo, the band around the lip and waist are dark green where glaze has accumulated while the base shows off running rivulets of that have made their way to the very foot. The base of the pot is tooled out to expose some coarse clay where Okabe's personal mark is proudly and distinctly incised. The truth is that despite its measurements, this has the feel of being a large pot, certainly a classic piece by Okabe Mineo clearly showing off the many attributes of why his pottery is so sought after and even today still represents a milestone addition to what is the modern Oribe tradition.