A RUSTY BAND

I was thinking about the fact that I really don't get many guinomi sent my way, either from other people's collection of ones that I just can't live without but in the last few weeks I have had four show up which though it doesn't really sound like it, that is a lot for me. This yuteki temmoku guinomi is one of the recent group and like the Ki-Seto guinomi by Matsumura Sen has all of the characteristics of its larger cousin, the chawan. The first thing you notice is the proportions, wide bowl form and narrower foot just right for the piece, the solid proportions have the same ratio as bowls much larger in size. 

 Made by Kimura Morikazu this guinomi and his chawan share the same basic bones as well as surfaces which in this case is several bands of varying oils spot decoration where the small dark spotting is covered over in part way around the piece composed of a rich, mesmerizing rusty band of temmoku. The lip comes to a crisp bevel, perfect for drinking from and the foot clearly shows the bare clay where this guinomi stood during the wood firing process with just the shallowest cut foot like most of the yuteki temmoku antecedents. All told this is exactly my type of guinomi from form and proportions, surface and firing and as I reflect on it, Kimura Morikazu has left a large number of guinomi behind in various miniature incarnations of chawan, most likely, more than most. 

(In the background is just a hint of a wood fired vase by Bruce Cochrane, a perfect backdrop.)