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.