CBL

There is a near immediate recognition when you spot a pot by Ono Kotaro even when it is hanging out in the shadows. The icy clear, yellow or blue glazes that cling to the surface accentuate the meticulously carved lines that curve and wrap the form in a diaphanous embrace. This seiji tsubo by Ono was a Christmas gift for my wife who loves a wide array of pots but i do suspects she prefers them to the more rustic and esoteric Oni-Shino.         

Though not too large, the form is simple with the elegant curvacious carving creates a rather sensuous appearance that is the perfect balance between inviting one in while suggesting being a tiny bit distant. Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of this tsubo is where the glaze has built up ever so slightly adding to the feeling of perpetual motion as the undulating lines go round and round bringing the viewer "there and back again" and never tiring of the cool blue landscape. In retrospect, this icy beauty was just a perfect gift for the season and current, icy climate.