TURN-AROUND

It is not that often that I am involved in a quick turn-around involving pictures and post but I was asked to put up a more “direct” picture of the recent Oni-Shino kakeire by Tsukigata Nahiko. I was happy to oblige and here is a photo looking at a slightly downward angle and into both the mouth and the aperture that was cut into the vase. One thing that is abundantly clear in this photo is that this piece must have been in a hot spot of the kiln where heat and serendipity have created two large molten drips of glaze just hanging from the top of the opening, organic and active, both showing off to the fullest the rich iron, ash and feldspar concoction that is Oni-Shino.   

“Most discoveries even today are a combination of serendipity and searching.”  Siddhartha Mukherjee

SPIRIT

When I first saw this large and bold mizusashi, the sheer sculptural qualities were inescapable though at the same time it had a real organic presence, the spirit, like some weather and water formed stone in a river bed. This imposing Hagi mizusashi was made by Kaneta Masanao using his kurinuki method of starting with a large hunk of clay and methodically hollowing or carving out the form from the inside. Once finished, this mizusashi was glazed over in a Shira-Hagi glaze which in this case has blushed to a pink tone in just all the right spots and the surface has thinned ever so slightly on the high points and areas of sharp, carved line to further define the form and its motion. Though I have seen a lot of Masanao’s mizusashi forms, this one spoke to me, it is conversant at a number of levels and also qualifies somewhat as fantastical and animated in its execution where the tapering form, elegant blushing, rich carved lines and the appearance of what appears to be sprouting wings on either side breathe life into the clay making which on most days would be a great pot and turning it into a true work of wonder where concept, creativity and technique have all conspired for unencumbered success.  

“Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.”  Leonardo da Vinci

WAY BACK WEDNESDAY

I wonder if way back Wednesday is actually a thing? At any rate here is an older teabowl of mine, the idea is the classic bamboo form that I have worked with for a rather long time which is admittedly an amalgam of a bunch of pieces parts from pottery old and new. What always stood out to me about this rain patterned bowl is the way the iron and Shino glaze interacted and carbon trapped rather heavily leading to a rather unique surface which only occurred on perhaps one in fifty pieces among which this was the best example. Beyond having a smokey and reflective surface, the transitions boundaries between the iron and Shino created a bunch of subtle effects including these wild white spots or crystals. Bare in mind, while I was working on this combination, this was never anything I was trying to create, it was pure serendipity which rarely showed up but when it did, it was a most welcomed hitch-hiker and when it didn’t, I was always just a bit defeated. Glazing, firing and expectations, the trio of exuberance or (slight) disappointment.

SANCAI-HENKO

Illustrated is a rather old photo of a classic Kawai school pot, a sancai-henko by Kawai Hisashi one of Kanjiro’s last pupils. Created in a multi-part press mold, this henko is larger than most of Hisashi’s work and is glazed over in a fine, clear glaze covered in fine crackle crazing. Once glazed, this had three separate glazes splashed or ladled over; one using chrome, one using iron and one using copper. I have seen a number of this form and even several in this sancai style decoration and this remains one of my favorites by Kawai Hisashi.  There is really little else I can say other than this henko would seem to be the perfect collection of Kanjiro styling, simple, spontaneous glazing and a well-conceived and functional form and that is just about all one can ask for let alone expect.

TO HANG OR NOT TO HANG?

Though standing on a shelf, the illustrated Oni-Shino vase is in fact intended as a hanging vase though the small rectangular slot at the top rear is empty and devoid of a bronze hanging ring or piece of coarse hemp rope. As you can see in this sunlit picture, this surface is just alive with varying effects including the rich spotted iron interior that looks alive as you move by the piece. The form just naturally gives you that feeling you are looking at natural bamboo covered over in some other-worldly surface that is just filled with effects that show off the very essence of Tsukigata’s Oni-Shino. As you can see, the majority of the effects on the kakeire are in movement though there are areas of static punctuations where iron has come to the surface and formed crystals of sort. It has been a long while since I have handled this piece and over that time I have wondered if it was never intended to have some metal hanging ring or just a simple knotted piece of rustic rope leading to the bigger question, to hang or not to hang?

DUAL PURPOSE

A while back I was asked to make a set of four cog style bowls that also had lids. This is what I came up with and the thought was they could be used as covered serving pieces, covered bowls or just bowls without their lids, in essence, the near perfect (?) omni-bowls. This group were all about seven inches across for the body with slightly diagonal flutes to create the cog design and finished off in an oribe style glaze composed of three distinct glazes. This one is number five as it is always best to make one extra than be one short and more than likely will be impressed into Thanksgiving Day service. Enjoy your turkey day!

 

MINO-IGA?

This is another one of those, I am not sure I would have gotten there without the box description. My first thought was this was either Shigaraki or a general haikaburi vase but as I mentioned, the box notes that this is in fact, Mino-Iga. The form has that almost classic, utsushi-mono look as if it was some copy of a medieval vase with the deep vertical furrows, throwing marks, rugged lugs terminating in the oft seen bulbous neck/ mouth of a number of Shigaraki and Iga forms.   

This was made by Toki potter, Kato Mitsuhide which if you read my blog, you may remember as the creator of the funky, cool Ki-Seto koro that I have posted previously. Among other Mino styles, the tradition also showcases Mino-Iga where the pot is often woodfired with or without any seed glaze and also has iron accents splashed or trailed across the surface. As you can see, this hanaire is covered over in a rather uniform coating of textured ash with areas which have blackened a bit, breaking up the overall monotone coloration. I guess I am still not 100% sold on the description but I’ll go with, the potter knows best.  

(Hollywood backdrop courtesy of Tsujimura Shiro)

ECLIPSE

Like some museums and other collectors, we rotate our collection based on a schedule my wife has fit into her XCEL spreadsheet and recently this Tsukigata Nahiko Oni-Shino bowl came out for its limited engagement run through early next year. One criterion we have for all pots that come out of their hype sleep is that they have to still have that something special, that jolt as they come out of their storage boxes. Every now and again as the piece emerges, it would seem either we have changed, matured in out collecting and in that case I work to re-home the piece but in this instance, that is the furthest from the truth. Though extremely biased, I am always excited to see this chawan which I could among my absolutely favorite pieces.       

Feeling like seeing an old friend, I spent some time taking a group of new photos including a series of HBD (Hollywood backdrop) photos to get new perspectives of the piece. This photo uses a picture of the moon that I took a couple of years back as a background which adds just enough light and atmosphere to the chawan to give it a whole new look. I apologize for posting up yet another photo of this bowl but like with a number of other pieces, I find myself eager to see what comes up in the rotation. That being said, for me, there is very little that we own that would “eclipse”* this wonky chawan.

(* Eclipse, see what I did there?!)

WAVES

Looking a bit like continuous waves encircling this covered jar and lid, this is another take on combed slipware. In this case, thrown out of stoneware, covered over in a thin black slip before applying bands of white which were combed after waiting about ten minutes or so. I have added the second photo to try to give a feel for the tapering feel of the form which gets narrower as it goes down to the base before swelling out just a bit. Though the technique is positively medieval and older, using stoneware and my own take on the form, I would like to think this has a somewhat timeless-modern look. Long before moving this technique to higher temperatures, I made use at the high end of the terra cotta range. In that case the clay got fiercely red and dark which admittedly, this stoneware lacks the same appeal, most of which is hidden in glaze including the entire lid and into the gallery as well. This is certainly a simple jar and technique but with most slipwares you get a lot of bang for your buck!

KAZE-MON

This is another one of those odd photos taken while being at the right place at the right time. I don’t quite remember the circumstances but I was getting ready to take photos of my pots that came out of the kiln that morning and when I set up the lighting, this is what I got over on the tansu. Illustrated is the very top of a Wakao Toshisada Nezumi-Shino style “wind-gate” (KAZE-MON) casting a giant shadow on the wall. The greyish, textured glaze, the sukashi, pierced triangle and perfect pure white device work hand in hand with the low lighting and shadow to create an interesting photo. I am not quite sure how I ended up with a light and dark shadow against each other but that coupled with the triangular light spot is its own lesson in geometry. I am sure there are photographers out there that can plan all of these elements without so much as a second thought but for me, this may be the actual definition of serendipity.

HBD

Over the last several weeks we have had mostly overcast skies with intermittent direct and unencumbered sunlight which has led me to fall back on my old HBD (Hollywood Back Drop) photos for something other than white backgrounds. In this case a well fired Shigaraki chaire by Minagawa Takashi is accompanied by a hazy moon from earlier this year. The surface of the chaire is wet and clearly shows the rather quick and random fence design incised around most of the form where the natural ash does the rest of the heavy lifting. This piece is on the large side for a chaire but I must admit it is much lighter than I would have ever expected leading me to ask, how did such a thin pot stand up to the ferocity of a such a heavy firing?

INDIGO

Illustrated is a small covered jar from several firings ago where the firing was about equally split between soda blue, golden amber, Oribe and temmoku & ash pieces. This small combed dervish jar was thrown out of stoneware and coated in slip where the body and upper shoulder are separated by incised lines which also divide the differing textures. The upper shoulder and lid continue the dabbled texture along with some more incised lines and the finial was quickly brushed with slip after seating it in place. There is nothing very complex about this pot though the varying techniques do seem to create bands of texture that help animate the piece a bit but perhaps the most eye-catching feature is the rich almost indigo blue that has collected around the bottom, the widest part of the jar that is so rich and deep as to add just a hint of mystery to the piece. I really enjoy making these small covered jars, they fit between larger serving pieces and to some degree, you are never quite sure how they will turn out, each one is its own unique little universe.

NIGHT SKY

Perhaps what draws me to the simple and unpretentious yuteki-temmoku chaire is just how much it reminds me of the stars shining in the night sky. The clay and form of this chaire are rather classic as is the surface to a point but the potter, Awa Sachio has distributed the small iron burst to good effect, they are neither to cluttered or too sparse and make for a rather engaging and uncomplicated aesthetic, perfect for chanoyu or as a simple ornament on a shelf or desk, meant to enrich an environment.  

Awa Sachio started his pottery studies in Shigaraki in the early 1970s before moving on and studying in Tamba after which he set up his own studio and kiln in 1977. Though I have seen only a couple of his pieces in person, there is lots to survey across the internet showing his focused dedication to temmoku and yuteki-temmoku, simple in concept and execution which just speaks to the subtle complexities of the surfaces, inviting and quite comforting.

AMALGAM

There is no missing exactly who the potter is when you are looking at a piece by Fujioka Shuhei from his earliest to latest creations. Fujioka’s work has a naturally heavy appearance with the attitude and posture of being stoic to a fault, the blocky appearances and manner in which the pot is formed and articulated is almost singularly ascribed to this one potter. This particular pot is thick and sturdy, coerced into a more or less cubic form with a variety of potter’s marks across the surface like scars accrued in the process of the clay being told where to go. Beyond the basic appearance and forms, Fujioka’s firing tends to be rather distinctive as well and in this case the landscape is a mixture of thick and thin green ash married with areas of grey to black due to the charcoal bed built up around the base of the piece during the firing. What is clear from this mizusashi and most of the work of Fujioka Shuhei is the raw strength willed into existence into each pot, a perfect and unique amalgam of potter, clay, process and firing unlike no other.  

“Strength is a matter of the made up mind” - John Beecher

J-JAR

This amber glazed covered jar was a recent order, the photo is really not very good as it was quickly taken just before the pot was packed and shipped out the door. The customer was somewhat specific in that it needed to hold multiple cylindrical items, roughly six inches in length, be glazed in the golden amber and have a somewhat universal yet not distinctly any one place kind of decoration. I came up with the simple stripes and squares idea which was okay and fit the form, the glaze and went with the small, mostly decorative knob. I must admit, though I have made a lot of pots for specific purposes, this was a first as it was intended for the storage of an item best known for its medicinal and recreational use in a number of States. Again, sorry for the hasty picture but I think you likely get the idea what it looks like and what it was made to house.

THROUGH & THROUGH

Looking a bit like this stepped out of the past, this guinomi has all the characteristics that appeal to my mini-chawan criterion. The posture, proportions, volume and ratio of the “bowl” to foot all fall within the miniature chawan style guinomi and in this case, Hagi, through and through. Made by Yamato Kiyoshi, this Hagi kohiki guinomi is filled with texture and antiquity, where the landscape keeps the eye darting about where the landscape of the piece changes dramatically as you turn the form around*.    

This simple, textural guinomi was made by Yamato Kiyoshi whose social media presence keeps one up to date on his work and firings. Having established his own kiln, the Meizan-gama in 2000, his work has been widely exhibited including at a number of traditional Kogei exhibitions and at the Takashimiya Department Stores. Though I have seen a number of his pieces, just judging from this singular encounter I think it would be a safe bet that not only the work is of a high level but it is clearly rooted in the Hagi tradition while clearly part of a new generation moving the needle forward, pot by pot.

(* Not necessarily a disco song reference unless you want it to be)

CENTER OF ATTENTION

A while back I posted up a tokkuri and guinomi by Echizen potter, Nishiura Takeshi and thought it time to post a slightly more formal shot or two of the sake cup to fill in the blanks and make it the center of attention. Based on Nishiura’s “blue sand” style of glazing this guinomi fits into the Goldilocks’ zone of neither too big nor too small, perfect in my hand as well as my wife’s. The form is simple, acting as the canvas for the hekisha-yu surface with lots of activity and texture to capture one’s attention and imagination. In this context, it is almost like a small, distant moon is perched on a simple pedestal adorning a table of shelf and just waiting for your favorite spirits to complete its function. As you can see, the thick, glaze roll is the perfect place to grab this guinomi, making for a snug grip where the texture pleases an additional sense, sight. This may be a simple and compact little vessel but it does have quite a bit to say about the modern Echizen tradition and even more to say about the potter.

 

GRAVITY

Recent Kuro-Oribe style teabowl fired on its side where the laws of gravity seem a bit askew. Thrown out of a sandy small batch clay, the bowl was nudged a bit ovoid and then faceted creating a vivid rain style pattern texture around the form. The base and foot were addressed simply using my patented sharpened wedge direct from my local Lowes. The surface is built up using a number of glazes, four or five usually to create the depth, color variation and movement I have grown very fond of.     

This is available and you can see more of this teabowl over on my Trocadero marketplace;

https://www.trocadero.com/stores/albedo3studio/items/1510052/ROBUST-ORIBE-MENTORI-TEABOWL

ILLUSIONS

At first glance, this large chawan could easily be mistaken for Ki-Seto and despite knowing otherwise, I still think it looks like Ki-Seto. The truth is though, Ando Hidetake has made this as an earlier style of pottery, Ko-Mino-yaki which is what is also written on the box. The yellow, straw like color of this glaze appears like some overly zealous pointillist, filled with fine, micro-texture and varying tones of color aided by intentional potter’s marks along with subtle manipulation of the form and added spatula work. The wonderful indentation made around the bowl serves to break up the regularity of the form as well as creating a perfect area of color change adding a bit of animation to the piece. The form itself is a strong reminder of old, feudal chawan originating in the Momoyama period created to act as the perfect vessel for tea, a concept and reality that Ando takes very seriously imploring anyone who would make chawan to understand chanoyu as the basis of these pots. This chawan culminates in a simple, utilitarian kodai that compliments but does not upstage the rest of the bowl, a well-considered pedestal on which the bowl rests and feels comfortable in the hand.  

As I survey this chawan and the work of Ando Hidetake, I am reminded of this single line taken from a recent interview which adds dimension to his pottery; “The true mastery of Mino ware pottery is an illusion, but that is also why you never end up chasing it, never tire.”

FRIDAY

                       

Illustrated is a rather exceptional Oni-Iga chawan by Tsukigata Nahiko, perfect for a Friday. This chawan is neither my pot, nor my photo but I was able to handle this bowl recently on this side of the Pacific and it has everything one could want from this technique and this potter. Awash in texture and changing effects and attitudes, the large, slightly ovoid form fills the hands and is just the perfect Oni-Iga landscape where iron, ash, slip and grit all collide and commingle to make for a perfect vessel filled with strength and a robust, challenging posture. Over the years I have seen quite a few of these bowls in print and in person and I think it is safe to say, this is heads above the rest and likely would come in at a 9.5/10. Though I suspect there is always a better one out there somewhere, I have yet to see it and I am constantly on the lookout and with any luck, I will post some of my photos of this chawan, those photos are for another day.

BANDED & STAMPED II

Illustrated is another banded and stamped, or impressed covered jar from a firing a month back (?) now. Like the Oribe sets, this one is smaller and to be honest other than being a generic covered jar, not sure of the actual use though it has a lid and stuff can go in it. This one is smaller than the couple of pieces that ended up in Oribe because this was all the clay left from throwing off the hump and decided to keep in line with what had been thrown just prior as well as being a similar style lid which were also later thrown off the hump as well. I suspect that I went with the golden-brown amber glaze with hints of iron wash over the upper part and the lid just so that it wasn’t green and presented some diversity when the kiln was open though the top was filled with the amber, Oribe and soda blue. I think one of the reasons I like this glaze is that it is a No-Albany Slip, Albany Slip style glaze and has some qualities of pots by Cardew and his group that gives it a less, “now” feel. Remember, I said, “some qualities”, even if you have to squint a bit to see it.

 

BLUE WITHIN BLUE

Whenever I post up a detail image without an overall photo, I tend to get a fair amount of flack and queries, “where is the pot?”. In some small measure, I am reminded of the movie, THE GRADUATE, though in a much different context; “are you trying to seduce me?”. The truth is the it is the accumulation of all these details that make for an interesting, intriguing and good pot and this detail is no exception.     

This large Echizen tsubo was made by Nishiura Takeshi and as you can see in the ash streams, the beautiful flowing blue ash that cascades down the pot from about the halfway point of the piece, at its widest point. I think it is the fullness of the belly of this pot that helped accelerate the movement of the ash, where movement and motion almost overwhelm the viewer. The extremes of the firing process and the right choice of wood create these ash runs filled with streaks of blue within blue and covered over in random punctuations of frosty ash crystals making for a landscape akin to a wintery wonderland though perhaps from some far off, distant planet. 

Though I know I have used this quote before, Leonardo da Vinci’s brilliance best captured the importance of details in this single, solitary line; “Details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail”, well, I couldn't agree more.

COLLISION

I don’t think it can be very easy to come from a family of traditional Iga potters and balance that tradition with the idea of self and modernity. In many instances it takes distance to develop that voice, in this case moving from Mie Prefecture to Paris, France and come home again with a new understanding of tradition and personal aesthetics. In this case, the potter is Tanimoto Yoh and though this is an older work, he has clearly assembled the simplicity of a tradition with a modern take in the form of this metal lid for this koro, just like a collision of ideas, the marriage of aesthetics and materials has worked quite well and showcases a willingness to work in the moment and not necessarily in the past.   

The body of this small Iga koro was thickly potted, the form is simple showing throwing marks and then the form is broken up with incised spatula indentations creating a lobed form. The lid is hand hammered copper with abstract geometric patterns pierced through the piece, sukashi style to allow the incense within the escape and permeate the immediate area. Though a rather traditional vessel, the koro takes on a rather modern appearance where it seems like the 17^th century and the 1950s coexist in perfect harmony.

K-O TPOT

I was throwing a series of stoneware shallow bowls off the hump a short while back and had made eight to get six and had just enough clay left over to throw a spout, a lid and a body for a rather small teapot. I hadn’t made a teapot in a while and this one was about as basic as they come, simple form, simple add ons and a corrugated handle to give it a bit of pep. Once bisque, this was glazed in the Kuro-Oribe surface which ran down the form creating a rather nice effect overall. Though it is a bit difficult to see all of what is really going on, this detail shot looking down on the top of the teapot gives a better insight into exactly what happens when you end up using four different glazes in total. As I mentioned, this is a small, simple teapot and had I given it more thought, I probably should have made a couple of cups to go along with the pot, well there is always time. 

 

BUDWEISER

When I first saw this covered box form, I have to admit, my mind went to that "base-place" where I immediately thought of the old Budweiser commercials. I just couldn’t help it, I am a product of too much TV, particular music and popular food. This wonderfully animated covered chameleon box was made by Bruce Cochrane and Zsuzsa Monostory; Bruce threw and built the covered box form and Zsuzsa hand-sculpted the pair of articulated and expressive chameleon to go atop the piece. The surface seems (?) to be composed of two sprayed on glazes creating a vivid and inviting texture with a Shino glaze interior liner and then was wood fired, somewhat gently to not over burden the surface with ash and obscure the details. This covered box is a wonderful and whimsical collaboration between to individuals steeped in clay, one more architectural in orientation and the other focused on three-dimensional animation and bringing the beating heart of her subjects to life, together the combo culminates in near perfection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ4NAgPG61I

COMPATIBLE

Classic lines, simple form, serene glaze and elegant lid surely are an apt description for the Kyoto style mizusashi by Kimura Morinobu. Throw out of stoneware clay, the form was carefully faceted to create this functional piece which was glazed in an ash based, seiji style glaze that compliments the intent, purpose and design of the mizusashi. As you can see, the edges of the facets on the body and around the mouth were likely slightly rubbed leaving just enough glaze to wet and seal the pot while creating a rich definition to the form and breaking up the monochrome surface.         

All these details show the careful consideration and attention that Kimura Morinobu lavished on his piece despite their casual and quick production. Perhaps one of the crowning details to this striking mizusashi is the lid, custom made to match the faceted form and fit the thrown round mouth. Though custom and a welcome addition in and of itself, the real appeal lid wise is that it was made by Juyo Mukei Bunkaizai (Living National Treasure), Nakagawa Kiyotsugu (b. 1942) of Kyoto. Though I am unsure of their relationship, they both reside in Kyoto and would obviously be aware of each other, making for a perfect shokuhin to approach for those special pieces and their needs. In a sign of great respect, Kimura Morinobu has noted on the box that the lacquer lid was made, hand crafted by Nakagawa Kiyotsugu and was written on the left side, parallel to his own signature.   

I think it is safe to say, making a simple form, with good lines, a perfect blend of aesthetics and utility and pieces/ parts that are exceptionally compatible may seem like an everyday and straightforward exercise but as I am constantly reminded, is there anything more complex than simplicity? 

 

REVERSED

Here is another khaotique teabowl fired as the same time as the last one I posted. In this case, I put the black slip on first and then added the trailed and finger-painted fingerprints in white slip to create the reverse for a different look. Again, this bowl was squared up and is a bit taller than it is wide making for a handful of clay and glaze. Not much else I can say, just wanted to show off the opposite of the past golden amber piece, not sure which I like better yet though I am leaning toward the surface with the white slip added first, greater contrast to my eye.

T-POT REVISITED

For whatever it is worth, no I am not losing my marbles, I am aware that I posted this teapot in a post way back in 2012. To be fair, the previous post showed a rather washed-out version of what this rich, porcelain lobed teapot actually looks like and this ‘revisited” photo does a much better job. This teapot was thrown and constructed by Bruce Cochrane, a potter whom I always think of as focused and well considered, his pots have just exactly what they need and no more, not exactly less is more but just what the concept into reality calls for. My wife and I have owned this pot for a very long time and if memory serves me correctly it was our very first piece by Cochrane followed less than a week later by a large terra cotta covered oval dish form. I thought this needed a slightly better photo to represent the piece and, in all likelihood, when I get a better camera or develop better photographic skills, I may try my hand again at capturing exactly what it is that makes this so special though I guess it isn’t that hard to figure out.

SIROCCO

Today started out like any other day and then by late afternoon after finishing glazing and loading the small kiln, it seemed like chaos blew in like some ill-humored sirocco of old. As such, I will be brief, no hyperbole, no waxing poetic, here is a simple photo, enjoy or don’t, this is the best my scrambled mind can handle at the moment. Tetsu-yu nanten-mon tsubo by Karaki Hisao.

GBA²

It is funny how things sometimes work in cycles; this particular decoration started back in the 90s and every now and again it pops up to come full circle. In this case a thrown stoneware bowl was coerced square and then white slipped, gently combed before having black slip spontaneously trailed across the planes. Once the semi-vertical lines were created, the spots were added via finger painting the slip to add some punctuation to the lines. All in all, there is nothing revolutionary here, just a simple assembly of several ideas all under my GB amber glaze meant to imitate the old Cushing Albany amber as best as possible minus the Albany slip and the Cushing recipe. Last but not least since every technique needs a name, this was originally referred to as khaotique by a Belgian student at CSU and for lack of something better, it just stuck.

PROTAGONIST

Though the kinuta form originated sometime in the Song Dynasty (1127-1279), the form likely goes back quite a way from there having originally being made of wood and used as a type of “hammer” during the neolithic age. That being said, once the jump to clay, the wide array of interpretations of this form has been rather varied and during the 20^th century in Japan, kinuta-hanaire become not only popular but wildly diverse. Illustrated is a rather classic, even textbook kinuta form by Furutani Michi who has left quite a number of examples for our appreciation and study and though not any real achievement, I think I have seen well over quite a few pieces in person and certainly several dozen more in illustrations.   

This mallet vase is a wonderful, very well fired Iga piece with a number of effects creating a rich landscape which is currently highlighted by the mid-day’s sunshine bringing out the color variations, the crackling, the ash build-up and the texture created by being in just the right spot during the firing. Though not particularly large, many of this form, this one included, presents itself as a rather imposing, stoic form, which has fought against the ferocity of its firing process and emerged the victor, the protagonist which has defied the odds with its defiant posture and unique and expressive presentation. Though I will readily admit a bias, I think many of Furutani Michio Shigaraki and Iga pieces are truly outstanding but this Iga kinuta is clearly timeless with a rather medieval visage something the potter excelled at imbuing his pieces with history, tradition and a sense of self, there is little more that you could ask for.

SIDE NOTE

Though I have written and posted about Okano Hosei previously, I have to say, this oburi Shigaraki chawan just captured my attention when I first saw it. Large and in charge probably describe the attitude of this bowl which was well fired, upside down to boot where gravity defying effects are painted across the surface creating a rather captivating landscape. The form itself is simple but from a non-chanoyu person’s perspective and thinking of it as a vessel, it is nearly perfect; full, round, the perfect silhouette where volume, posture and attitude reign supreme*. The interior, the mikomi and at the other end, the kodai are both very well attended completing this simple package or rather aiding in tying it all together. There are a number of details when all assembled, create a captivating chawan, perhaps (?) the best one I have seen by Okano, excepting one, illustrated in an exhibition catalogue.   

On a side note, at some point after the purchase of this chawan, the new owner(s) wrote to Okano-san and asked about the bowl and its “unexplained” details to which he replied with a lengthy letter complete with several drawn illustrations of how the bowl was fired upside down and where it was placed in the kiln. This letter accompanied the chawan to the “New World” and with any luck will continue on through time as a testament of a wonderful bowl and a connection between potter and customer, possibly friend that I suspect has been echoed throughout history. 

(* Yes, that was an IRON CHEF reference.)

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS

I recently had a prolonged conversation about what makes a good pot and though I am neither expert or terrifically insightful, judging a pot may start with the whole but may end with the details. In as much, I think in judging a potter, like Tsukigata (or any other potter) there are a variety of factors that push a piece into the upper 5% of their work, the “good stuff”*, then you judge those pieces on acknowledged masterworks and go from there. I realize I don't have a monopoly on pottery knowledge and aesthetics but I have read quite a bit, seen and handled a lot of pots as well as having attended conferences and lectures by people much smarter than me. I try to use objective aesthetic theory and principles in judging a pot and determining what is a "good" Tsukigata and what is worth just moving on from trying to avoid relying on pure emotions. Pots aren't coins where you can judge them on standardized criteria, pottery, most art is all about the nuances and subtleties. I think I have come to the conclusion that something good may have an infinitesimal difference from something that is not, it is all about how the details are all stacked up, that is why I am so detail oriented and post about this on my blog and elsewhere. The devil truly is in the details.

 (*Though not intended as a B-52s reference, it worked out quite nicely none the same.)

THE SPIRITS OF TESTING

I suspect at its core, this surface probably seems like a lot of the surfaces I like working with, this one is a bit subtle but I think has some potential for being upscaled at least to a teabowl size before I decide if I should continue on. Using a small faceted guinomi this is a bit different in that the base glaze has an ash glaze over it that also has some manganese carbonate in it, a material that doesn’t get nearly enough credit but, in this case, where it had a secondary “dose" applied with a brush, it creates nice waterfalls of streaking that perks up the surface quite a bit.      

As you can see in the picture, the surface runs quite a bit as well which is why the ash glaze was only dipped to the skirt and still managed to run all the way down to the foot where it looks like a disaster must have occurred but through kiln-god providence, it stopped a micron short of becoming one with the plinth it was fired on. Time to make up a bit more glaze and sacrifice a teabowl to the spirits of testing.

CHOICES

I recently handled a rather interesting and illustrated Iga chawan by Kojima Kenji. At first, I kind of ignored the catalogue and focused on the bowl, the captivating form, the movement of the bowl, the slightly undulating lip, the glassy, well fired exterior and the classic Kojima kodai built for stability and purpose. As time ticked by, I finally made my way to the catalogue packed with all kinds of pots I would just love to handle until I came across the teabowl in hand. I must admit, the first thought that sprung to mind was, why did they choose this angle to photograph the bowl as there are a multitude of perspectives this could have been shot from, at least four strong and impressive points. To my eye the catalogue photo shows a rather strong chawan, one certainly worth getting to know the bowl better by but in my opinion, there are better vantage points that better articulate the nature of this Iga chawan. I guess I will continue to ponder the reasoning behind the choice which gave way to a larger question in my mind, just how many other catalogue photos just hide features that would have been better off to showcase? I am sure I will never get an answer to this question.

PASS OR FAIL

Just a simple couple of yunomi with hakeme slip decoration under a soda blue glaze. I have received a bit of feedback from “un-named” critics* who don’t like the degree of inward curve to the lip but to my eye and lip, this is what makes this form work but does it pass or fail? The basic idea was to use the same general curve starting from the base in different directs but essentially mimicking each other, one good to grip and the other good to drink from. Having these in hand, I think they work well and the use of the opposing curves is exactly what makes this form. I would welcome any feedback as even all the years on, I am always looking to see other viewpoints beyond my own. (*One of these critics is a very good friend and I greatly appreciate his input despite the fact that he is wrong!) 

HIDDEN ASSETS

I am sure I am not alone in this, I suspect every collector has a potter or two that they think of as hidden assets among modern Japanese pottery. They are potters where you just like the way they work, fire, handle clay, decorate, their pots speak to you but in the general collecting scheme of things they are not one of the “top dogs”, they are not LNT or on the circuit of the big galleries but to you, there pots are rather underrated. When I think of these potters, I constantly come back to this motto I have come up with where “it is better to have a great pot by a good potter than a good pot by a great potter”. Seeing where a potter has excelled beyond his skill set, these are pots than speak to me and at their core carry out a long and lasting conversation over the years and even decades.   

Among this group of hidden assets, I count the work of Masamune Satoru and Kimura Morinobu at the top of my go to group of good potters who make great pots and this chawan is just another classic example of that philosophy. This Chinese inspired temmoku chawan was made by Kimura Morinobu likely during the 90s and has a wonderful, celestial style surface of minute iron crystals punctuated across the surface inside and out and further arranged by the five-point hoshi star burst in the center of the bowl. This bowl was thrown thinly and has almost seems weightless in the hand, the fine form culminates in a thin, delicate lip and a shallow cut kodai harkening back to numerous Chinese temmoku archetypes. This chawan typifies what draws me to Kimura’s ash or iron glazed ware; thoughtful and considered forms, glazing, decoration and firing, what more could one hope for from a potter?

QUEST

I suspect there are a number of collectors who are unaware there is a very neat book on Tamaoki Yasuo entitled; I AM ORIBE. Though this book is well illustrated with varying types of pottery that Tamaoki pursues, there are also a number of his Oribe pieces, both semi-tradition and much more modern like the one illustrated here. Using a somewhat limited palette of black, white, coral, greys and greens, Tamaoki has come up with a rich and engaging style, playful at its core but flirting with modernity with each creation. Many of these Oribe pieces use his “basic” forms as their canvas but that is where the commonality ends, his selection of space both positive and negative and random floating forms or devices hover of whites and coral rich backdrops making for the perfect backdrop, an abstract canvas folded like origami into three dimensions. 

If you have followed the work of Tamaoki Yasuo it was clear all the way back to his roots in the 70s and 80s that he was on a pathway of dedication and discovery. Plumbing the depth of what is Mino pottery and what novel approaches can be added the wide array of a living and moving tradition is at the heart of this potter’s work and this Oribe work is part of that quest. 

BORN TO RUN

When it comes to hand building, I am never quite sure how I got there or honestly exactly what I am doing. In my mind I had this idea that would play on the fact that some of my glaze surfaces run quite a bit, born to run if you will and, in this case, the piece sprung up from that central theme and decoration. Obviously, slab-built, out of stoneware, the main goal was the creation of a form that then had diagonal channels carved into it to allow the glaze to collect and run as it most certainly did. In this instance, the pot was glazed in my Kuro-Oribe surface though only the top two thirds, the bottom third was straight Oribe. Had I decided to go all in with Kuro-Oribe even the simple fact that this was fired on wads, placed on soft brick slabs, one inch thick, I suspect the pot would be a permanent resident of the shelf on which it was fired. 

As you can see, the glaze collected just as planned and ran down so precariously close to the base that as the kiln was colling, I still thought that I had a disaster on hand. Once cool enough, I picked it up and it came along without any issues. My general working process does not usually begin or revolve around an intended occurrence but in this case, how I wanted the glaze to respond and behave certainly was the genesis for the slab-built pot and likely not the best way to proceed in the future.

BIZAN-GAMA

I can’t really say I know a lot about the maker of this wood fired mizusashi but over the years I have seen a number of his pieces with a wide variety of surfaces and effects. Made by Oki Yasushi (b. 1948) of the Bizan-gama kiln at the foot of Mt. Koya in Kami-Amano, he has had a working studio since the early 1970s which he set up after studying in San Jose, California.       

As you may be able to tell, Oki specializes in yakishime, shizenyu style pottery relying on the wood, fire and kiln to complete the pot through its own distinctive process. This cylindrical mizusashi has an ancient feel to it like it has spirited away elements of Kofun and Sueki pottery and infused them into modern clay. The only potter’s decoration on this piece are several incised bands around the bottom half of the pot which in conjunction with the all-natural running ash is more than enough to present a rustic and simple aesthetic perfect for the tea ceremony or adorning one’s shelf or desk and an object of contemplation.  

Though this particular pot is in a typical, signed wood box many of the pieces of Oki Yasushi are adorned with quick, abstract drawing of the contents within. This is just another thoughtful feature and detail to go along with such an elementary clay vessel, steeped in history and tradition with a hint of the modern within its grasp.