SAKEZUKI

Illustrated is a Karatsu style guinomi or more properly sakezuki by Tsujimura Kai. Taking guidance from his father, Tsujimura Shiro and cues from the various traditions that interest him, Tsujimura has thrown a rather light, broad piece with a fine, small foot, carefully balanced but ever so slightly precarious on its perch. The form is low and broad, cutting a nice silhouette and is glazed in a surface that shows quite a visual variety where off-white collides with brown ash and amber tones cascade into the cup around the lip creating a rich and visually engaging landscape making the sakezuki more than pleasant to use. Like much of his father's work, this piece has that distinct feel of antiquity, despite its modern origins the core of the Karatsu tradition is written across the form and surface without a hint of an contemporary burden, simple, to the point and ageless.

WEATHERED

Illustrated is another old Japanese lock style vase form by Shigaraki potter, Kengo Saeki. I have seen a number of these forms over the years and most are of modest scale, perfect for use and neither too small or too large but what makes this one a bit different is that it is one half scale of most that I have seen previously. What this vase form lacks in size it more than makes up for in attention to detail, character and a wonderful landscape differing on front and back. At first glance it could almost seem like these are two different pots where the one side shows off an archaic, rusted and corroding with areas of ash creating a fine texture while the other side has ash built up in different layers creating green glass along many of the angles created through the design. With each encounter of these vase forms I am reminded of ancient, weathered bronzes of centuries past where time has taken hold and added naturally to the pieces without any fuss or planning, producing an object that no amount of technique and skill alone could have created. As with my previous encounters in photos or in person, I look forward to the next chance meeting with the works of Kengo Saeki.

THE LITTLE CUP THAT COULD

Illustrated is a small "bourbon" cup with a slightly troubled past. Starting at the beginning this cup was from a group of pieces thrown off the hump using a small batch, gritty, sandy clay, most were facetted of which for some reason, I thought this was the best of the group. Being the top of the class as it were, I decided to go with the tried and true Oribe with iron and along with some 45 other pots, it was loaded and fired. Once unloaded, I realized that the very bottom of the kiln was slightly underfired and I decided to put this aside and fire it again to see what would develope. Loaded again and then midway through the firing we had a power outage leading to the loss of nearly the entire kiln load or really about 75% of the contents. For what ever the reasons are, most of my glazes do not fair well when they are firing and the temperature drops quickly leading to bad pinholes and a rather dull, muddy surface and are even worse when refired.  As I was surveying the bad to worse result, I decided to just hang on to this cup and several other pieces to refire next glaze fire to see what the results may be and in this case, third time is a charm (?).       

As you can see, the cup came out with a number of other Oribe based pieces with deep, shiny surfaces with not a single pinhole and truth be told, I am glad I decided to refire these pots, most of which I am much happier with now than I was just a few short days ago. A fellow collector asked me about when I was happy with my work and I told him, the feeling is always short lived but I must admit, I was happy with this little cup that could for more than the usual five minutes and it is likely to become my new bourbon cup for the foreseeable future for at least eleven minutes into the future.

MEMORABLE INTRODUCTION

I have to admit, before I encountered this Oribe vase, I had never heard of Sone Yoshiyuki which considering my interest in Oribe has been something of a conundrum. As you can see, this animated vase has a rather fantastical surface created after the pot was glazed and fired on its side, the surface has run in streaking layers toward the bottom as the pot lay creating a landscape that both reminds me of rock strata and a foreign landscape from a distant gas giant beyond our reach. The glaze has run toward the prominet and distinct shell scars which fossilized during the firing adding more details that bring the viewer in to survey the varying elements that create the whole. Either lug has a rather distinct bidoro drop, suspended as if gravity does not apply and the entire pot is streams of mingling iron and copper almost mimicing neriage until you look deep into the surface of the glaze to see the thrown bones of the hanaire.   

As for the form itself, this vase is a creative amalgam of the old and the new, borrowing some elements of old pottery while striving to show a modern rendition of classicism and an inner voice imbued with the playful* whimsy Oribe sprung from. The form has a casual quality to it while its posture is both determined and study showing off the simple alterations to the thrown piece that seem natural and in harmony with the finished object.  I have written about Sone Yoshiyuki previously showing off a magnificent bidoro emerald earring suspended from a vases's lug showing off the details that pull a viewer into the orbit of his pottery as well as making for a rather unique first impression and acting as a most welcome and memorable introduction. 

(*PLAYFULNESS IN JAPANESE ART by Tsuji Nobuo)

LIVELY ATTIRE

Illustrated is a rather impromptu photo of a vivid and animated nebula temmoku chawan by Kimura Moriyasu. The bowl, in transit as it were was sitting on the the chest when the sun very graciously decided to rake accross the chawan highlighting the running glaze, showing off the rich amber lip and multi-colored range of rivulets making their way down the bowl paying homage to heat and gravity.   

Thrown out of a crepe texturered buff clay, the form is simple, based on an archetype originated across the sea with a slight uneven wavering to the lip and a deep, almost profound well ending in a perfect mikomi. As straightforward as is the form, the surface is innovative and alive as the layers were first built up and then melted, comingled and ran down the bowl in short, controllable burst through what ends up looking like distinct bands of color surrounding the chawan. Though this photo was not staged, nor was permission asked for, this candid gives a good sense of what this Kimura Moriyasu chawan is really all about and like a perfect model, classic canvas clothed in expressive and lively attire.

ON THE OFF CHANCE

Illustrated is my old amber ressurected and used on a test yunomi on the off chance that it would work with a bit of wash over the surface. This addition was last minute when glazing a couple of weeks back and made its way between some v-bowls filling those dreaded empty nooks and crannies of the kiln. The addition of the manganese/ copper wash really adds to this surface and creates a depth to the glaze that it lacks as well as a bit of motion to the surface. I am rather glad the idea popped into my head as I was glazing and am looking forward to trying it on a less textural surface to see if the surface is as interesting without all of the fluting. I am in the process of glazing currently and further testing will have to wait until the next cycle unless something comes up and it usually does.

B&T

Though this may not be the most informative photo of this Hagi style chawan by Tsukigata Nahiko it still clearly shows the classic form of the potter and its stoic posture and well dressed foot as well. This chawan has an inscription on the box lid interior, it is named; "Confederate Rose", more pictures to follow when I find them. Highlighted by both sunlight and shadow here is a different exposure to this chawan by Tsukigata Nahiko and as I have mentioned previously, I think there are subtleties and nuances that stand out in this type of presentation including the "bones and toppings" of the piece. 

PRIMO REPARIO

Illustrated is the first piece of pottery that I have ever collected with a kintsugi repair, I have a real aversion to pots with chips, cracks or any damage and this has lead to a rather long term internal debate. Over the years I have had more than several pieces arrive damaged and in need of repair but I have found that a horse of a different color and I think because the piece arrived damaged, the trama or experience colored my perspective of those pots ever so slightly. Last year I spotted what I would under normal circumstances consider to be a near perfect Iga chawan by Furutani Michio, the caveat was a pewter lacquer repair measuring just under 2cm long. Based on the topography of the lip under magnification it seems obvious that something stuck to the lip during the firing process and was removed and the bowl was repaired at that time. I should mention that if done by or for the potter, this would be the third piece I have seen with repairs, the two others, one with staples and one with lacquer are illustrated in exhibition catalogues so one can guarentee contemporaneous repairs orchestrated or conducted by the potter, this one is most likely the same but conjecture.       

At any rate, this Iga chawan was thrown out of a rather dense whitish stoneware in a rather classical Furutani Michio shape where the bowl form has a depressed area running close to the lip which has also allowed green ash to build up in and run down from. The entire chawan is covered in varying degrees of ash thickness with a wonderful run of a thick river up toward the lip culminating in a large bidoro drop and due to how the bowl was oriented during the firing there is a thick deep pool close to the lip on the interior which is quite prominent and very hard to miss. The foot has the least amount of ash buildup of the bowl and shows off the crisp cut foot with crinkled texture inside to its fullest advantage. I could go on and on about the chawan and what I discovered in deciding to take a risk on this chawan is that it has no impact on the pot from my viewpoint, someone, either potter, dealer or collector decided this chawan was just too special to discard and had it lovingly restored with the perfect choice of lacquer which has altered this piece into not only splendid work of a master at the height of his skills when made but a narration about survival and the need to understand that a kiln accident is not the end of the world but rather the beginning of a deeper conversation about the importance of objects to a tradition and humanity, the perfection of imperfection on full display.

HIGH TECH

Illustrated is the high tech and top secret process by which I achieve some of the surfaces I end up with on my glazes. Included in the photo is of course a banding wheel as old as time itself, a folded piece of cardboard covered with newsprint, the glaze to spray and the lung powered atomized all focused on spraying the small teabowl glazed in Oribe with a masked decoration created using an impromptu cardboard stencil. In this case there were only two teabowls that need to benefit from this high tech and streamlined operation both intended as tests while the bulk of the bisque pots wait thier results. I should mention that on the other side of the photo, I was wearing eye protection and a painters mask with a tiny slit cut in to admit the mouthpiece of the atomizer. I realize this is not necessarily the best operation but normally I would have done this outdoors in the fresh air and upwind but it was raining quite heavily. Tomorrow is a day filled with appointments and errands and I won't get to fire the kiln until Friday, better late than never.

RIN

Illustrated is a finely thrown and carved porcelain vase with a pale seihakuji glaze surface influenced by Chinese Song ceramics by Kurashima Taizan of the Daizan-gama. Working in Sue located in Fukuoka, the pottery of the Kurashima family is known as Sue-yaki and as mentioned and looks to both Chinese ceramics and Arita ware for its initial inspiration. This tsubo like hanaire was expertly thrown and is thin and light yet the procelain has been fired to create a dense and hard clay that rings finely when tapped. The mouth and shoulder area has been exquisitely carved to create a five  lotus leaf design to harmonize with the rinka style mouth all under the thin coating of a simple, elegant blue tinted glaze that highlights the form.    

Kurashima Taizan is well known for his wonderful, Song inspired ceramics and carving that runs from rather simple to very ornate and complex. As you can see in this simple, static photo, this vase embraces the concept of "RIN" or "quiet clarity" and his work was included in the exhibition, RIN (1996) showcasing his pale blue and ivory colored carved porcelains. As the accompanying catalogue details, Kurashima's works conjure up thoughts of purity and elegance and having handled a few of his pieces, it would be next to impossible to disagree with that conclusion.

MORE TO OFFER

Illustrated is a Shigaraki tsubo made by a Fukuoka native now working and firing in Yokohama which coincidentally,  is only about a four hour trainride from the cradle of this ideal and aesthetic. Made by Hoshino Ryosai, this medieval style tsubo with a vivid and classic  incised  fence decoration has a simple form with crisp lines to form the mouth and flange with a wonderful coat of ash from top to bottom presenting a true sense of antiquity and honesty to the pot. What is clear to see is the varying ash formation and color that has painted this pot ranging from tradition browns and greens to hints of lavender and blue strewn across the surface.     

Having shown his work across Japan and abroad, Hoshino has embraced the Shigaraki (haikaburi) aesthetic that relies on skill, experience and serendipity to complete his work in the anagama wood fired kiln. This pot, all naturally glazed, shizen-yu has a rough and tumble surface while still having a sense of nobility in the stance and posture of what is a utilitarian vessel with quite honestly, so much more to offer. Each encounter with the work of Hoshino expands the breathe of his output from simple to the complex masterful koro showing yet another potter not residing in the birthplace of the tradition making pots that display excellent examples of what is at the very heart of the Shigaraki tradition.

MOTIVATION

I finally got motivated to sand, decorate and load a number of greenware pieces into a bisque yesterday and another one today. I total there are about 140 pieces ranging from teabowls to dinnerplates and pasta bowls, some orders, commissions and pieces I made as tests or new forms. The truth is the real motivation to get these pieces fired was the weather as we are in the midst of cold, cold rain which is supposed to ice up and with ice comes downed trees and power outages. Since I won't be throwing I can get three glazes made and two topped off and get around to glazing by Friday as I have some other commitments tomorrow and Monday. It is funny how the weather finally gave me the kick in the but to stop throwing and get stuff processed before there was a mishap as storing all that greenware was getting tricky. Illustrated is just a group of carved slip porcelain bowls about 9" across ready to be cleaned and then glazed in either my Oribe, amber or soda blue, there are also combed stoneware slipbowls, some chatterware and a few teabowls meant as filler in the periphery of the picture. Now that the second bisque is finished firing without any power interuptions I am rather glad to have these pots in a more stable situation but I still need to figure out where to store them while I am glazing everything up, the pitfalls of a car garage studio and limited wall space.

TRICKY BOWL

I realize that I have posted this Tsukigata Nahiko chawan before but I ran across this picture of the bowl highlighted by both sunlight and shadow and thought I might as well give it one more go. I think this is a tricky bowl to decipher when loooking at it in a more convential setting, the quality of the glaze, the posture and overall feel of the form can easily get lost or become just a bit fuzzy. I am not trying to paint this as the end-all of Tsukigata chawan but rahter it has some rather special attribute which are best observed under a variety of light soruces and situations, the more you can see and converse with a piece or this piece specifically the more you get to understand it at its core from the bones to the toppings.  

As for my personal take on this chawan, this has been one of my favorites that I have handled by Tsukigata Nahiko. I am unsure exactly how to explain it but it has a sense of antiquity and an eminently casual demeanor, more like it just happened than was thought out, thrown, manipulated and tooled. The bowl feels natural, well balanced on its pedestal foot and welcoming in the hands, I am not sure you get all of this from this photos and others, along with a video that I have made but since it is rather happy where it is, as is the owner, I don't think it will be making the rounds any time soon so this will just have to suffice until another one shows up, fingers crossed.