OLD & NEW

When I first saw this kohiki chawan all I could think of is that it just exudes a sense of antiquity. The form is simple, casual and certainly not fussed over in the least as if it just sprung to life from off a hump of clay on a potter's wheel. It is easy to see shades of much older pottery in this bowl especially from various Korean potteries from centuries before this bowl was even thrown. Thrown out of a gritty, slightly sandy clay, once thrown and tooled the body was covered over in a white ship which as it dried and fired cracked and fissured creating a wonderful soft texture under this yellow amber ash glaze (ame-haiyu). The proprotions of the bowl to foot work nearly perfectly creating a foot that acts as a stable and study pedestal to a broad and flaring form that despite its termination appears to continue to reach out beyond its actualk circumferance.    

In case you didn't recognize the potter, this ash glazed kohiki chawan was made by Kyoto potter, Kimura Morinobu. Spending much of his life pursuing ash and iron as the main constituents of his glazes. Though this may or may not be common knowledge, ash varries trememdously from batch to batch, tree to tree and bush to bush and though he would burn these materials himself, there is a great amount of diversity between new batches of new glazes. I have seen this style glaze a number of times and this one has more depth and activity that my previous encounters though I can't quite say why, using natural materials adds that small degree of serendipity to each and every firing and pot. However this pot came to be it would seem that the potter, clay, glaze and firing all worked in simpatico creating a near perfect relationship between the old and new.

SWING

Kishimoto kennin is a rather engaging and intriguing potter in my opnion, on any given day his work can swing from strictly traditional, to contempary to almost abstract and innovative and this is only his Iga pots that I am talking about. When you add in his kannyu seiji, celadon pieces, Kennin's diverse path has had him explore and master a wide variety of styles within the Mino tradition, wood firing and ceramics inspired from across the sea on the Asian continent. 

This particular Iga hanaire is a combination of tradition with a hint of contemporary styling creating a broad, powerful and sturdy form for a purpose rooted in untility. The use of traditional Iga style paddled decoration with the nobility of added lugs washed over by ash and a deep fire luster, this vase exceed expectations and the norms and though signed, it has a that rather spot on Kishimoto Kennin identity and presence, brought to a point where potter has refreshed the idea of exactly what is a classical form.

ANOTHER BLUE MONDAY

Illustrated for another blue Monday is a soda blue glazed neriage teabowl from a few firings back. I was pleased by the way the soda blue and black and white body work together and think this expands the use of this glaze just a bit more. Though I will likely try this glaze over a more complex and diffuse neriage, I really far prefer the bold, simple pattern as it stands out quite well and the balance between the light and dark is appealing to me anyway.

CHA-TSUBO

I took this quick, impromptu picture a short while back of this little pot by Tamba potter Nishibata Daibi (1976-2010). Marked "cha-tsubo" (tea jar) on the box, this little chaire like piece clearly shows a number of cues from his father's work, Nishibata Tadashi. Thrown out of a coarse iron clay, the pot was quickly faceted opening a wonderful texture in the clay before it was later glazed showing off that classic Nishibata/ Nishihata style. Though small in stature, the tea jar shows off a rather sturdy presence and instead of an ivory lid it is finished off in a ceramic lid, clearly glazed in white to give the illusion of the normal chaire lid. 

Perhaps my favorite feature beyond the purposeful faceting is that wonderful horizontal texture that moves vertically up the form showing through some of the glaze surface until it just disappears under the opaque white at the very top and shoulder. This is not a very complex pot but there are details and subtleties that bring life to this little gem adding to the mystique and appeal of a potter who had many more pots to make within a tradition his contributions were made all the better for.

OLD HAUNTS

Yesterday was a road trip day, down to Southern Conneticut to drop off pots at Wesleyan potters, have a lunch in a familiar spot, go to a favorite old spirits shop and of course, stop at Meriano's Bakery. Going back down to the shoreline is always a nice trek and yesterday we had pretty good weater with only a few minutes of overcast and cloudy skies all day. It only took about an hour to inventory and drop off my pots so by 11am, we headed further south visting some old haunts, places we would frequent more often than I should mention when we lived in Guilford, CT. Illustrated is a grouping of canoli that came from Meriano's on a snowberry tray made here at Albedo 3 Studio. Upon closer inspection we realized we should have bought more pastries, there is plenty of room left to use if you can see any of the squared platter through the sweet goodness! 

Eclairs and canoli by Meriano's, pottery made here at Albedo 3 Studio.

TWIST

Illustrated is a modern twist on a rather old tradition, this Bizen henko was made by Kimura Gyokushu XVII and though it relies on centuries of prior work and firing it carves out its own niche out among a large field of contenders. Aided by the flashed fire pattern and the dramatic form, this henko appears to be in forward motion but it rests upon a sturdy base and is perfect for heavy use or its visual appeal on a shelf or desk. The way the flame licked the form on either side has created bands of color that work well with the ash that has coated much of the mouth, top and shoulders terminating in cascading runs of a matt, tan ash down the front and back of the pot. In the sunlight the subtle, combed texture created when the pot was made stands out and further adds to the overall Bizen aesthetic suplimenting the illusion of movement even more. I think that the velocity of the firing process and nunaces considered by Gyokushu have worked quite well to create a rather animated henko that in use or not will always seem like it is on the move and perhaps just one step ahead of the viewer.

You can see more of this Bizenhenko over on my Trocadero marketplace;

https://www.trocadero.com/stores/albedo3studio/items/1498055/ROBUST-BIZEN-HENKO-BY-KIMURA-GYOKUSHU-XVII

CONFLUENCE

An emerald, part of the beryl family is made over great amounts of time, under tremendous pressure and cultivated by millions of years of heat with a hint of chromium and as one can imagine, it is a very coveted material. On the other hand, this emerald appearing bidoro drop is created over a relatively short span of time, little to no pressure and again in comparison to the mineral under less intense heat. Let's face it though, for anyone interested in pottery, this little gem and the multitude like it, it is highly sought after and is created in the same way as the actual mineral, happenstance, serendipity and what is really a confluence of all the right conditions; materials, heat and placement all aligning just right.      

In case it has alluded you, this detail shot comes from an Oni-Shino hanaire I handled a short while ago, not particularly large but just jam packed with every feature you could ask for. In this case, the photo is of the upper lip area which droops into the form and where the ash has built up during the firing, it has eroded small channels inward that then have guided the molten material into this singular point creating this deep, rich emerald green drop. I should mention there are two such channels and frozen drips on the mouth of this vase which must have acted as quite the leaky faucet as the entire interior floor of the vase, almost four inches across is solid, fractured green glass at least a quarter of an inch thick. Though I wouldn't mind having a handful of gem quality emeralds, this vase and its wonderful details and colors not to mention the beautiful bidoro is just fine by me and was worth the drive to get to see and handle yet another Tsukigata Nahiko piece that has made such a long journey.

HISSEN-GATA

A while back I was playing with a number of teabowl forms and decided to revive a style I had not made in a rather long time, the hissen-gata chawan (brush washing teabowl). This bowl was thrown out of porcelain and pushed slightly oval and I decided to go all in with the drama and cut in the recesses a bit deep to over-accentuate the look of the lip and bowl overall. Once tooled I applied thich slip and combed it from foot to lip creating a slight sense of movememnt around the bowl and glazed it over in saffron yellow which honestly makes it glow a bit depending on the light source. As a by-product of how this was glazed, the interior has nearly perfect lines of running glaze culminating at the interior spiral which has filled with glaze and is a deep, rich and dark amber in color. I made a couple of these and though the opinions are mixed, this is perhaps the best of the group and after all, the sun seems pleased enough to lend a hand in showing off the details and nuances of the bowl so who am I to argue.

IMPACT (II) REVISITED

I was searching through a thumb drive filled with pictures and ran past this photo of a large Shigaraki tsubo by Takahashi Shunsai and decided to post this up to fill in some of the blanks and give more of a perspective of what the other side of the tsubo looks like. The original post from 2021, entitled; IMPACT II shows off the dramatic face of the tsubo covered in running ash like a cosmic impact of molten ash collided with the surface. In contrast to the face, this photo clearly shows the underside of the pot where it was resting , one of the wad resists clearly visable and the ash running to the lowest point of the belly traversing an array of firing effects from the prolonged wood firing. In truth, I think both landscapes present a rather evocative narrative of the pot and firing and both contribute not only to the technical understanding of the process but also the aesthetic journey where potter, clay and fire converge like some grand chronicler of old.

https://albedo3studio.blogspot.com/2021/06/impact-ii.html

KI-SETO REDUX

I know that I put this particular pot up back in 2022*, so no, the answer is my mind isn't going quite yet unless I owe you money. The previous post, entitled, DRAMA NOT TRAGEDY showed off a Ki-Seto kinuta hanaire by Kato Kozo which was photographed using non-discript incandescent light. The current photo, a Ki-Seto redux, though a slightly different angle was taken using tungsten lighting and to my eye it makes for a remarkable difference and presents the piece which is closer to the actual color showing off the more soft, straw yellow that repesents the glaze quality better. I know I dwell on the varying light sources a bit too much but the truth is that I am trying to see pots in hand to their fullest capacity and seeing them highlighted in varying ways shows and captures details, subtleties and nuances that are sometimes overlooked, now if only I was a better photographer!  

(* https://albedo3studio.blogspot.com/2022/12/drama-not-tragedy.html )

THIS OR THAT

I have been having some problems with these Kuro-Oribe glazed hexagonal bowls recently, most likely to being a bit overzealous with the glaze application but is also proof I can still learn from my mistakes. As you can see, each of the six sides are basically glaze channels and with just a touch too much glaze, the channels are acting to, well, channel the glaze to a single meeting point. The channels met at three main junctions causing the glaze to run somewhat uncontrollably down the sides, the base and to the foot where it has been running onto the plinths that they are fired on. 

I should mention, being overzealous comes from the fact that the more glaze and glazes I apply, the richer and runnier the glaze get which is a positive thing in terms of the richness of the surface but not so much when it comes to gravity and basically liquid glass. For anyone following along, the fix is quite simple, use less glaze and thinner overglazes and this will diminish the running problem which is not a bad thing. So the fix is in but I have to say, the last bowl that ran badly had the penultimate surface of what I have been after but sometimes you have to choose, really wonderful shards or a a really nice bowl, you can get with this or you can get with that!

SLIPWARE

This rather rustic kohiki and iron glazed mizusashi was made by Ogawa Tetsuo who I have long admired as one of the finest "slipware" potters of Japan. While the term "slipware" generally is associated with the English tradition of the use of varying colored slip on pottery, in japan it is more about hakeme, mishima, kofuku and kohiki stle use of the liquid clay. In this specific case, this kohiki slip has cracked to create a vivid texture across the surface of the pot which has also been highlighted by iron painting a rather atmospheric landscape like the mist or fog enveloping some far off mountain range or valley, a perfect object of contemplation for the tea ceremony. This mizusashi was thrown out of a coarse stoneware clay and then carefully manipulated to a lozenge  or diamond shape and once completed was fitted out with a custom black lacquer roiro lid.         

In short, his pottery is guided by the concept of looking back and studying the past to find and define his voice within a modern tradition which for Ogawa revolves around slipware and his choices of clay and materials. Though the idea, the concept, form and surface are all rather simple the presentation and aesthetics have a degree of complexity that is both visually and tactilely engaging though knowing a bit about the work of Ogawa Tetsuo, this comes as absolutely no surprise.

OLD SOURCE

Admittedly I am more than a bit partial to any variety of Persian or Raqqa style glazes but my favorites revolve around the work of Kato Takuo and Kato Kenji as seen here. This very simple sun soaked bajohai-guinomi is decorated inside and out tying the piece together in design and surface. Perfectly thrown out of a red earthenware style clay the piece is neither heavy or too light and feels just great grasped between the fingers. The pale blue Toruko-ao (Turkish blue) has an quality that harkens back to antiquity beside being made more or less in modern times where the near transparent surface allows the finely detailed decoration to take center stage in this concise three act play. 

From my observation I think one of the main reasons that Kato Kenji resonates so well is that he came to understand the "old source" materials, the pots of Persia and Turkey from antiquity and grasped the spirit and attitude of the pottery while moving onto his own vocabulary of forms and surface treatments he strove to imbue his own work with the ideals of the archetypes he studied. In the end, Kato Kenji was extremely adept at bringing  clay, decoration and glaze together in harmony where each played its role in the creation of his work that spans the ancient Silk Road all the way to 20th century Gifu prefecture and Japan writ large.

KATAKUCHI IN ACTION

I took a few minutes the other day to make this "stellar production" assisted by Industrial Lights & Magic* to give a rather quick idea of how my katakuchi actually pour. The Oribe hakeme katakuchi was filled about 70% and I could place my thumb inside the vessel without touching the liquid which was water for demonstations sake and I was able to fill all five, Kuro-Oribe mini-wan, bourbon cups and had enough left over to easily top all four cups off. The four cups are all made out of sandy small batch clay, gently faceted and glaze in what I refer to as Kuro-Oribe for good or bad.  The lip was pulled a bit thin and sharp and works quite well to cut off the flow of the liquid without any dribbling and the channel that runs up to the lip isn't so aggressive as to overwelm the spout making for a good, even pour without any complications. This is a short video so I apologize there is no time for popcorn . 

(*Okay, the Industrial Lights & Magic comment is hyperbole at best as is the thought this is a "stellar production" as it was filmed quickly on a faux tripod and my wife's old cell phone.)

THROWN, NOT SCOOPED

From my perspective, Kaneta Masanao has become so synonymous with the kurinuki technique of carving a pot out of a block of clay that I almost forget he comes from a family of traditional Hagi "throwing" potters. As you can see, this Shiro-Hagi chawan was thrown, not scooped and adheres to a more conservative avenue of the Hagi tradition but its wouldn't be Masanao without putting his personal stamp on the form and surface. As mentioned this chawan was thrown on the wheel where it was then slightly altered while wet, pushing slightly oval creating a broader than wider form and once a bit drier he altered the lip creating a nice contrast to the softer curves of the form with simple angles and notches which immediately grab one's attention.       

As for the kodai, it was crisply cut forming a bamboo node style pedestal giving the form quite a bit of lift but perhaps the most noticeable features is the dramatic contrast between the curdled, crawling Hagi glaze and the wettish, iron daido clay body peeking through like canyons or waterways on some distant planet. The ever so slightly off white glaze wraps the form and presents a stark sense of tension almost as if the form is being pulled apart while creating a unified presentation amidst the implied chaos. Kaneta Masanao has managed to create a chawan that straddles the old and new and brings balance to the simple and complex aspects of the bowl which is a perfect addition to the Hagi tradition and just another facet to a noteworthy career in clay.

JUST FOUR FOR FRIDAY; CHAIRE

This is sort of a follow up post showing off a group of five chawan by Bizen Juyo Mukei Bunkazai, Yamamoto Tosho. Like the previous post, these are literally photos of photos and are a bit grainy but I do think they get their point across showing off Yamamoto's mastery when it came to making chaire. The book these came from is dedicated to chaire, dozens and dozens of them and I honed in on this gang of four, just four because they said something to me specifically and if you were to thumb through the same book I am sure you would pick four entirely different pieces but this is my post (and blog) so here are my choices. Though there is something of a similar type in these four they are clearly different in firing, form and presentation of posture and character. I also think it is evident when surveying his chaire oeuvre just how fertile his imagination for form was relying on what came before and articulating what he had to say regarding Bizen clay, firing and his perception of the tradition.    

Yamamoto Toshu started in clay at an early age and founded his own kiln in 1933 along the way he gathered a profound knowledge about antique Bizen, hand picked details and attribute from the past and folded into them dignity, honesty and sophistication of earlier pottery creating his own unique vocabulary. As he matured, his strong ability and technique on the wheel leads to a facility in creating outstanding chadogu painted by antique archetpes from his studies, modern trends perculating during his early and fomulative years and his own developing inner vision of Bizen. I believe the chaire of Yamamoto Toshu stand out to this day as an enduring contribution to the tradition and potter's art in turn becoming the archetypes and role models for many post-war (post 1945) potters and even those to this day and likely for quite some time to come.

MICE & MEN

I am sure every potter can relate to this, I had intended to do a pottery-free day on Sunday, run some errands, close-up the A/C unit outdoors and some other misc. house stuff only to wake up to an email that changed some of my planning. The email was from a couple who had a cat induced accident and asked if it were possible to make a replacement lid for a covered jar which to be honest is never my favorite task. I agreed and decided to thrown two lids and knobs with about .5cm difference in size but before I could even get down to the studio, I realized that I needed four more terra cotta bowls for a gallery order so now I was going to make six pieces. 

After a late breakfast/ brunch and a quick trip to run some errands I went into the studio and made the two replacement lids and four 3lbs bowls which then turned into making up 2000gr of white slip and 2000gr of black for the terra cotta pieces. What should have been a thirty minute project turned into over two hours after the throwing, slip mixing and decorating four blanks, also in terra cotta screaming at me from the shelf, "paint me, paint me now".  So much for "the best laid plans of mice and men" as the lure of a studio just feet away from the comfy couch and TV, just seems to win out just like the siren's call to the men of Odysseus's ship and crew*. 

(*Was that a bit too overstated there?)

KOHIKI BAMBOO

Illustrated is a classic kohiki take-zu hanaire by Takahashi Samon that stradles the line between being simple and complex at the same time. The form of this vase is well articulated and clearly imitates the nature of bamboo and then this complex, cracked surface is put over the clay that creates a frenetic landscape of fissues, texture, colors and movement. Specializing in kohiki, Takahashi Samon has used a relatively common ceramic archetype and gone beyond form to present a balanced presentation of visual aesthetics and function for the everyday, well prehaps best for special occasions. Using this group of photos I intended to help build a perspective of what the pot looks like in person but was unable to capture the glistening, even glimmering surface as the sunlight illuminates and refracts through the glaze. In the future if at all possible I would like to rephotograph this vase using sunlight and shadow to help flesh out the hidden nature of the piece that is trapped just inside the surface.

ALL IN A DAY'S WORK

Anyone who has taken even a cursory look at my blog or Instagram page will not be shocked to see yet another chawan, another pot by Kimura Morinobu. I know I have said that part of the reason is that I truly enjoy how he handles clay which I also realize means very different things to different people. To me this is a simple and honest chawan, obviously based on any number of archetypes having that classic rustic, folksy, unpretentious and antique appearance, was that enough adjectives?  The bowl is desribed as hakeme chawan but in truth the thick hakeme slip has cracked creating a vivid texture to eye and hand alike. There is a transparent ash glaze over the bowl which has hints of blue to white where a bit thicker creating a wonderful contrast with the cracking underneath. 

Though I think it rather obvious in the simplicity of Kimura Morinobu's work and this chawan as case in point, there are layers of complexities surrounding the bones of the bowl like the moons of some far distant planet. The layers add the depth and attraction that a good pot should have and which Morinobu seems to bemore than a bit fluent in based in part to nearly seven decades of experimentation, exploration and dedication. I guess after seventy years or so it is simply all in a day's work.

ALL IN A DAY'S WORK

On some days I am reminded that I don't make nearly as many pots a day as I used to. Cutting down on the wear and tear on my wrists and lower back I keep throwing to less than three, preferably two hours a day while working off a script of orders, commisions and gallery restock. Yesterday was a semi-typical day of throwing terra cotta where I threw three covered serving bowls, lids and knobs, three 14" plates, three 3lbs bowls and four 2.5lb bowls and decided that was far along on the list to call it quits at the wheel. But that is not completely the whole picture, I ran a glaze fire kiln, pulled out forty pieces for an upcoming show, made out the paperwork and inventory sheet (which I just emailed in minutes ago) and then started the prep for dealing with the pots I just made, mostly making up black and white slips and getting finished pots stacked and out of the way, all in a day's work. I realize this doesn't really sound like a lot of work but for the sake of not destroying my wrists and back, this routine has served me rather well over the past decade or so despite the fact that back in the day if there weren't at least a zillion pots covering every available free space, I would just not feel satisfied but that was then and this is now.  

Illustrated are the three terra cotta covered serving bowls thrown yesterday and tooled today, two as yet to be decorated.

TOASTY

Illustrated is a rather toasty warm Shino chawan by Hori Ichiro that I will admit, surprised me just a bit upon its arrival. In the original pictures this chawan looked rather nice but quite white and certainly lacking the warmth that it actually exudes. Expecting a more or less white Shino chawan as I began to unpack this bowl it became immediately clear that this bowl had a rather appealing and welcoming surface which works in perfect harmony with the form. The meandering lip and rustic, almost rough kodai add real flavor to this chawan beyond the rich, orangy tinted surface. As I mentioned, the bowl has a warmth that many Shino chawan only aspire to and wish for, the tone and smoothness of the surface adds a rather comforting tactile quality making it easy to handle and appreciate the piece all the more. I am not trying to oversell the bowl but it does have a standout quality where depth, warmth and curb appeal all blend together to spotlight exactly why Hori Ichiro's work have added an untold amount to a tradition that goes back well over four centuries with work like this it is clear there is no end in sight.

EVERYTHING BAGEL

I have to admit it has been quite some time since I have seen and handled a new chaire by Furutani Michio but everytime I think, that the previous may have been the very last one, another one shows up. As you can see this chaire is broad, wide and sturdy in appearance and construction, The whole form is broad and overall I would say this is clearly built like a tank. Clearly marked; SHIGARAKI CHAIRE,  this chaire has a bit of everything you could hope or ask for, just like an everything bagel (!) from the glassy shoulder and cascading ash and areas of darker, deep brown ash from the velocity of the kiln. I should also note that another feature that makes this piece a bit special is that the shifuku (not shown in this photo obviously) is a simple homespun piece actually made by Furutani Michio's wife. This personal and intimate addition is something that I always greatly appreciate and makes this combo of chaire and shifuku truly a Shigaraki cottage "industry". Though I haven't seen a Furutani chaire in some time, this encounter was rather welcomed and just what the pottery doctor ordered.

WHAT'S NEXT

Illustrated is a recent etched teabowl with spirals and slashes design. This was glazed in a clear glaze with the golden brown amber over it and I am a bit enthralled with all the running, streaking that creates an almost holographic effect. The design under the glaze is clearly visable which is always a plus and the glaze creates a distinct sense of movement which abruptly stops at the widest point of the bowl, the transition between the main part of the form and the decending base culminating in the foot. Beyond the etched decoration, the rich deep, dark amber is probably the most eye catching feature which truth be told is hard to miss, though it wasn't intentional it couldn't have happened at a better place exactly where the design ends. Unfortunatley my mind is now wondering, what else, what's next in relation to this glaze because naturally, I won't be content until I screw it up.

NEAR PERFECT HARMONY

There is something rather special about a simple bowl that though subtle has all the bells and whistles you may want or need. This Yamada Kazu E-Shino is mostly pure white Shino with a perpetual wetness and texture that has a life of its own and a simple decoration just rising to the surface in bold or muted tones of iron red adding some depth and movement to the bowl. In truth, the simple yet gestural form is an apt canvas for Yamada's classic Shino glaze that is fat and full adding a pinch to the volume of the pot where its motion and posture are enjoyable all on their own. This is a large, robust bowl, a handful if you will that has a good, considered lip and a kodai that speaks to the fact that the potter is rather practiced on this features. Putting these details together narrates the character and presentation of the chawan which though simple is like many other pots, nothing short of complex  getting all the pieces to work together in near perfect harmony.

PEANUT BUTTER & CHOCOLATE

When I first saw this chawan and read the box I was immediately transported back in mind-time to the old Reese's peanut butter cups commercials, "you got peanut butter on my chocolate".  The box reads; SHIGARAKI-ORIBE and though I have heard a number of things paired up with either, the combination was a bit new to me. This chawan comes from the inventive persona of Kengo  Saeki where almost anything would seem possible as longs as he doesn't stray outside the laws of physics, where old feudal locks become wood fired vases and old koma-inu become fanciful, whimsical and even comical caricatures of centuries of traditional representation.    

Like many of his Shigaraki chawan this Shigaraki-Oribe chawan was wood fired and is a study in his forms and texture where the tactile qualities and aesthetic decision making wrestle with each other to see who becomes the dominate player but like many competitions, a draw is called as they are equally matched. As you can see the paddled texture completes the sturdy, almost angular form as it it was hewn from a block of stone or close enough, clay in this case. The form fits well in the hand and despite its presence it is neither too heavy nor to light, it would seem that Kengo Saeki landed smack dab in the Goldilock's zone once again. Shigaraki-Oribe, the term grows on you and the more I think about it the more natural it sounds.

 

CITRINE

Illustrated is a recent teabowl made out of a sandy small batch clay with the new(ish) golden brown amber glaze. I am trying to figure out where it works and where and doesn't and give it a little more depth but testing can be challenging by going too far or not far enough. After several more adjustments something new has shown up, where there are small voids of collection points, the glaze settles in to become like citrine, sparkly and puctuating the surface here and there. I can't say I exactly know why or how but realize the more I fiddle with the glaze the more likely I will lose some of the features that add interest to the surface. I think my next steps will to leave the glaze formula alone and start by adding a wash or two or three to the surface and see what happens next. I realize I can't just leave things be and will continue to tinker with it until the next time I unload the kiln the test piece is surrounded by a puddle of glaze.

WAY BACK MACHINE

Illustrated is a rather robust and sturdy covered Shino and ash pot by Don Spraque of Oregon and every time I walk past this piece it is just like a 'way back machine" bringing me back to our time in Cleveland. This covered pot was purchased from Sylvia Ullman at her gallery, American Craft Gallery in the 90s and has found its way on a shelf in our home through a number of moves and has never lost its appeal or presence especially as I turn the pot base and lid quite frequently making for quite a number of presented faces.

Thrown out of stoneware, the pot is a vocabulary of Spraque's pottery marks and stamps and the lid is finished off in his classic, ritualistic knob while the surface is a rich Shino glaze going from a blushed  orange to a more sedate creamy color with applied ash here and there adding a some visual accents where needed.  The base is finished off with the footring being cut away to provide four stable feet making for a nice sense of lift and shadow. This is a hard pot to tire of as there are little details here and there that keep you on your toes wondering, did I know or remember there was a small impressed stamp here or there making it almost factory fresh every time I pass by.

JUST ANOTHER ONI

Illustrated is a rather stoic, defiant and possibly irate Oni seated and taking full advantage of the sun as it emerges from the shadows. Though this is just another oni in the oeuvre of Fujiwara Ikuzo, this particular piece strikes a chord with its strong posture and pose and the well fired surface where just the right amount of ash has coated the form without obscuring any of the details. Carved from a solid block of clay by Mashiko artist, potter Fujiwara Ikuzo, his process starts out in a flurry where he gets to the bones of the sculpture, removing the broad strokes if you will before honing in on the details and bringing character and emotion one knife cut (or chisel) at a time. 

Like something akin to Frankenstein's monster, hewn from some amount of malleable earth, it is not electricity by rather the intense process and flame of the wood kiln that breathes life into his creation. The sheer diversity, animation and scale makes Fujiwara Ikuzo's work worth a second, third and one hundredth look to drink in all the spirit of the clay and his various studies of mischievous oni.

NEW TOOL

So I have been working on this new series of teabowls where the bowl is thrown and slightly altered and then the rest of the work is done off the wheel on a foam pad on a banding wheel for elevation more than anything else. As per usual I have been struggling with the foot which just is a constant thorn and a conundrum that I just can't crack. I kept thinking that maybe I can blame my available tools for the foot attempts failing to materialize as I want it to and then just within eyeshot I found a new tool. Off on a shelf not far from where I work on the wheelhead there was an opened pack of shims bought at the local hardware store, 20 to a pack for $3 and with the finest adjustment to sharpen the front and one side, I was in business. 

First I set up the size of the foot and begin nearly vertical cut to define the size and shape, next using the shim at a slight angle but horizontal I cut around the bowl and remove the donut like ring of extra clay. From there I use the shim to contour the foot and bowl profile and I think I may actually be getting somewhere. As I mentioned in a previous post it may take another 108,000 bowl but armed with my .15 cent shim and some amount of idealistic determination maybe I can get somewhere (?) sooner than later. 

FOUNT

In an email exchange I was recently asked if I was going to or at least close to running out of pictures of pots to which my answer was simple, "I hope not". To that end I went to a file and found a group of quite a few pictures and this curious plate surfaced. This thrown, triangular plate was made and fired at Kent State (KSU) back in the early 90s by Kirk Mangus. I was working there at the time and Kirk decided to demo a few things of which this plate was one of them, pulling out the clay and as the plates circled the wheel he would apply uneven pressure at the three point in affect throwing a triangle. The next day or so he set about tooling the piece which has that distinctive Mangus flare and then a week or so later it along with a lot of pots made it into the anagama and away we go. Fired upside down the silvery flashy creates a surface that appears perpetually wet and in some degree of motion. I am sure there are a number of potters who throw this way and fire wood kilns but you just have to admit, Kirk Mangus was truly one of a kind, inspired, fun and an unending fount of experience and knowledge. 

 

SOFT BLUE

On our very first trip to Japan like most people we tried to squeeze in as much as possible up at 6am and to bed by 1am or so. The irony to our plans and known destinations was the myriad of accidental or stumbled on places from an temples to antique stores and galleries. On one particular day we were taking what we thought was a shortcut near the  Sanjusangendo in Kyoto and walked literally right into a gallery-antique store. In one small display was a group of luminous turquoise pottery by Kato Kenji, our very first exposure to the potter; several guinomi, two vases and this rather soft blue koro. Unfortunately the koro was out of our budget so we ended up with a single guinomi with dreams of other pots in our future.   

With Kato Kenji firmly on our radar over the years I have seen and handled quite a few of his pots including quite recently when this sweet, simple koro arrived at our doorstep. This simple form is decorated in one of Kato's classic designs articulating the form before it was glazed in this hazy, semi-opaque Toruko-ao. The pot is finely thrown with a wonderful pierced foot acting as a pedestal for the koro adding to the "exotic" flair of the piece all decked out  and appearing a bit Persian in orgin but hinting at its origin being thousands of miles away.

HAKEME KATAKUCHI

In a previous episode of THE TRIAL AND TRIBULATIONS OF CLAY, well my blog, I mentioned the last of a group of katakuchi that had to be fired and this is the results. Thrown and pushed oval(ish) I then applied hakeme white slip at the central area of both sides trying to create a sense of motion in the somewhat animated form. Most likely resulting from me being a creature of habit I went directly to my Oribe glaze and these are the results. The interior has some nice effects from the glaze which works its way into the very center. Now based on a previous conversation with a pottery aficionado is it possible to tell from this picture what hand made the spout, left or right?

SIMPLE SET

Illustrated is a simple set,  a medieval  style Echizen wood fired tokkuri and guinomi by Miyoshi Kentaro, though once upon a time there were two guinomi but that is a different story all together. The way that Echizen stoneware takes on that greyish tone when fired compliments the accumulation of ash which in this case has run down the surface making for a rather pleasant and appealing landscape. The tokkuri is a nice size, neither too small or too large and is on the lighter side in weight and in general feels good in the hand as does the guinomi especially when held between the thumb and forefinger. Though I am not a real sake drinker, I have come to appreciate the degree of specialization that goes into making these functional piece for this purpose though the same can be said for any pot and all of their proposed uses, a pot that works well is surely a lot better than one that doesn't.

JUST ONE FLOWER

Though not nearly as ornate as the futamono that I posted a few months back this small, simple kogo is a strictly functional piece decorated in Eguchi Katsumi's patented washizome technique. Using a deep black instead of cobalt, this simple, low kogo was created as a practical piece where certain aesthetic consideration were employed to help will the space of the lid with a well conceived floral design, just one flower Vasily*. The use of paper to "dye" the design onto the pot creates a slightly uneven edge which soften the designs and then a hint of sgrafitto helps define the blossom's interior. At its roots, this Eguchi kogo is simple in form, execution and design and clearly owes just a bit to a rather long tradition of pottery making in Southern Japan.  

(*Slipped in a THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER reference there in case you missed it.)

 

HARLEQUIN

Basking in somewhat direct sunlight this thrown and altered, squared yunomi, harlequin style comes complete with visible fingerprints and sunny glare as standard options. This bowl was slipped in white and black to create the alternating circle and squares harlequin style pattern and then glazed over in my Oribe glaze to "dramatic" effect. There was a group of these squared yunomi in my most recent firing in a variety of  surface treatments but sharing a common link in they are all some version of green.

CANVASES

Utter simplicity yet a rather complex presentation where clay texture, form, lip, foot, geometry and graduated tones of Oribe all work together to create this evocative guinomi. Created by Suzuki Tetsu, son of Juyo Mukei Bunkazai, Suzuki Osamu, he has charted his own unique pathway, distinct from his father where much of his work revolves around various incarnations of Oribe and layered copper and iron glazes painting a rich landscape on his modern forms, literally canvases  for the 21st century. Though seemingly simple in exectution that a subtle details and consideration that steer you to just how complex such a small piece can actually be. I am captivated by the clay surface and its interaction with the glaze(s) creating a rather nuanced visual texture. Simple and small perhaps but in hand far larger than its diminutive dimensions may initially impart.

VOICE & VISION

Inviting, satisfying, rich, warm; these are just a few words that spring to mind as I am looking at this Shino chawan by Tamaoki Yasuo. Real or imagined, I have a strong connection to the potter and his work from various trips to Japan where he was on the list of potters to visit on our very first trip to Japan in 1990. This Aka-Shino chawan is early work by Tamaoki though it clearly has a place of distinction among his many decades of dedication to a tradition where ideals and archetypes give way to voice and vision forging a pathway to one's own style while adding to centuries of what has come before. The simple, curving  form terminates at a well conceived kodai and an undulating lip that bookends the surface composed of a rich iron slip influencing the glaze, creating a mottled rich, iron red and areas of thicker white accents all boundaried by the myriad of crawling pathways giving way to the wet, iron below. It is quite easy for me to articulate my interest in the works of Tamaoki Yasuo, he has a lifetime perfecting an alliance between clay, form, surface and fire, creating works that are never easy to overlook and rarely fail to live an impression.

Invitation (by Shel Silverstein)

If you are a dreamer, come in

If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,

A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...

If you're a pretender, come sit by the fire

For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.

Come in!
Come in!

MOVEMENT IN BLUE

This teabowl seems to be all about movememnt in blue. Thrown out of stoneware, I combed the slip, kushime style and then glazed it in the soda blue I have resurrected recently. Where the combing went to the clay body it adds an additional layer of color and movement to the piece and honestly perks up the piece just a bit. Nothing very complicated to see here but everything did seem to go together properly and on some days, that is absolutely the best I can ask or hope for.

DELIBERATE

When I first saw this thrown and altered vase form, all I could think was what an excellent use of iron, iron in the temmoku base glaze and also in the rusty overglaze application causing the runny, partridge style effects. Originally round and now octagonal, Kobayashi Kazumasa has defined, deliniated the eight planes by adding protruding borders at the intersection of each panel adding a bit of drama to the form. The planes, lip and angled foot of this vase form create a rather stoic, geometric form that has elements of movement just backing the piece away from the precipice of appearing  to be of industrial origins.        

Kobayashi Kazumasa worked in Kyoto and studied under Kawai Einosuke who was well know for his knowledge and use of glazes. Though I am not well acquainted with Kobayashi's work, it does appear like he made use of a lot of iron glazes including on a number of tokkuri, guinomi and yunomi that are out circling in the ether of the internet. At any rate, this vase shows a reliance on a Kyoto aesthetic blended with Chinese pottery archtypes, blended and used in a rather skilled and deliberate manner which makes me curious about what will be the next pot by this Kobayashi Kazumasa that I encounter?

DEVIL-MAY-CARE

Looking a bit like it is taking a mid-afternoon nap, this Shigaraki kakeire is about as wonky as they come. Almost folded at the neck and shoulder the form was manipulated to produce a bunch of character and even a bit of a caricature of the form itself. Though I am not hugely drawn to hanging vases, the fact that it is a rather well fired Shigaraki uzukumaru based form and it is by Suzuki Shigeji adds a few ticks in the plus column. As you can see this little vase has a wonderful golden brown crust of ash with areas of attached charcoal and terminates in a wondrous sharp, craggy lip that truly helps define the feeling of the piece. Despite being traditional in nature and having been subjected to the extremes of process and temperature, this small kakeire has an almost playful and devil-may-care attitude and posture which in my book is just what I want out of a simple, useful pot.

THE SECOND

Today was another one of those busy days, besides firing a glaze kiln there was making a few pots, glazing up a group of pieces for another firing and putting together several tests. We had to wait on a delivery truck, the kind that can come anytime between 10am and 2pm. Since the day really got away from me, I decided to post the second katakuchi and matching cup as a quick post. This is obviously not a large piece, thrown out of stoneware and covered in black and white decoration, I went with the soda blue glaze on this set which worked well with the simple decoration and forms. There is one last katakuchi, actually the first one of the series, it is currently in the glaze fire and is glazed in Oribe with thick hakeme panels on either side but it does not have a matching cup. If it comes out half-way decent I will likely make a couple of cups to go with it as it is generous enough to be used by two. Back to the studio to keep my eye on the kiln.

CONSCIOUSLY THROWN

There is a rather undeniable ferocity to the surface of this Shigaraki mizusashi by Niigata resident, Kon Chiharu. There is the ferocity of the pot itself standing up to the intense heat and velocity of flame and then there is the unmistakable ferocity contained within the kiln and process of the wood fired experience. The surface narrates a story of movement, determination, endurance and durability where ash adorns the pot and shows how it was fired and how potter choose clay and an ideal form to best appreciate the nature of its making. There is a simplicity to this hyotan inspired form, a form born of evolution has been co-opted in clay for its effective volume and scale. Due to all of its curves and sloping plains consciously thrown make for a wonderful canvas for the rich ash to paint its masterwork across the surface. The seemingly gravity defying ash adds drama, movement and certainly a rich landscape to a pot integral to a ritual ceremony that in many respects mirrors a similar ritual carried out between clay, potter and fire, one that is thousands of years old.

NOT ENTIRELY FORGOTTEN

So I don't think I have posted this before, feel free to correct me if I have. This pot passed through here quite a long time ago but as with most pots, it may be gone but not entirely forgotten. This Shigaraki mizusashi was made by Furutani Churoku IV (Hiromu) back in the 1980s if memory serves me based on the accompanying enclosed bio. Classic in form, style and surface, I think this clearly falls under the catagory of utsushimono, copy or replicate made to emulate what archtypes have come before as well as to bolster a tradition and pass on ideals that have some proven merit through time and use.    

This particular example is pretty streamlined, stripped of superfluous details with simple base, neck, mouth and lid and an almost obligatory addition of lugs but allows the firing to narrate the nuances and honesty of the pot. I like how the mood and tone of the pot changes from dark to lighter as you visual ascend the mizusashi making for a distinctive, banded surface created as the firing pot sat in charcoal adding the slightly brooding emotion to the base. Classic and honest, I think I'll stick with that description, it  works just fine for this aged pot by Furutani Churoku

NEW COAT

In an effort to see what I can do with existing ideas, designs and decorations in an even slightly different manner, I have been bringing techniques that I use in terra cotta to stoneware and white stoneware for a fresh look. Using the honey amber, soda blue and my Oribe glaze has worked well in varying carved slip, the all black carved tebori and some wax resist decoration and I am pleased with how moving from a clear glaze or temperature range has added a new look to tried and true decoration and designs.        

Illustrated is a classic pasta, bisque or salad bowl, an omni-bowl if you will where using black and white slip simply carved with the "grasses" pattern it has a distinct and contrasting appearance to what has normally just been a clear glaze surface. There is a richness to the surface with the slightest hint of running, droozy iron making its way from lip to center of the bowl without being to obvious or overwelming. Being that this was the first bowl of this style and surface, done as a way to proof the idea it has not made it very far, now replacing a similar shaped bowl that ended up chipped in a somewhat recent catastrophic(!) event.  Though as soon as I can get past this terra cotta cycle, several orders and a handful of pieces needed for a show, it will be full stream ahead making what I have made all along with a new look and a shiny new coat.

PAST TO PRESENT

Quite a long while ago a friend sent me an email saying he would be sending me a chawan that I may be interested in or at least looking at. Several days later this chawan arrived well packed in an unmarked wood box but the work itself is unmistakably by Kawai Kanjiro. Rifling through several catalogues and The MINGEI magazine (#556, Ex. No8) I found several nearly identical chawan to this one with this decoration though I suspect there are far more as this form and design work so well together as do most of Kawai's work. The rich iron tessha surface is so reflective and metalic making for the ideal canvas for some rozome decoration and a few experienced strokes of red and blue to complete the bowl. As for the form, perched atop a tall pedestal foot the bowl in this case has a classic wan-gata style that most likely found it origins back in the Edo period lacquer ware of the time borrowed and modernized for a new purpose. All in all this is a rather classic chawan by Kawai Kanjiro with a nod to the aesthetics  of Kyoto which helped nourish his creativity and was his home throughout his entire lifetime where his art connected past to present.    

"Anyone can make beautiful things," says Kawai-san. "The capacity for expression and creation is in everyone, but not all of us realize this. We work and produce in spite of ourselves. The unknown self drives us on always." (* Quote from WE DO NOT WALK ALONE by Kawai Kanjiro that I take to heart and always hope that he is right!)  

(I apologize for the single, poor quality picture it is all I have from this encounter that happened at least three cameras and a long time ago.)