THIN CRUST

Illustrated is a detail shot of a Oni-Shino mizusashi I was able to visit back in 2020 if memory serves me. This picture is from a take-gata mizusashi with mostly white Shino and some areas of a thin crust of golden brown ash and some traces of running green ash around the piece with what amounts to a kaleidoscope of color and texture that is just A+ in my book. It is nothing short of amazing how well this process of glazing and firing works for Tsukigata to produce a never ending narrative of visual abundance, the interplay of the varying texture and color of the surface makes for an unending conversation between potter, pot and viewer which quite frankly is the best outcome for a lump of clay, a handful of materials (chemicals), a bit of heat and a determined and adventurous potter can ever hope for. The next big mystery is trying to figure out how to get the owner who mostly collects guinomi and tokkuri to part with such a luxurious pot! 

(I apologize for the singular detail shot, as the mizusashi is not mine to share, this was the best I could offer.)