COG-WARE

In some ways these small covered “COG” boxes were designed as filler but since they are bigger than teabowl generally speaking, I think I make them because I like making lidded pieces. This stoneware COG box, part of a limited group referred to as cog-ware was thrown out of stoneware and had white slip applied and then a fresh coat of soda blue to finish it off. All in all this is a rather simple idea and form but I think when you add in the carved furrows the glaze brings the piece to a more intriguing pot and after all, it is a daily reminder of how we are all just cogs in this giant cosmic machine we call life.

 

CUSTOM-TAILORED

A bit on the larger size, this yohen-temmoku guinomi is a wonderful contrast between the deep, rich dark interior and the iridescent, rainbow effect border that forms the lip. Made by Sasaki Yuzuru I am constantly amazed at the depth and variety of the surfaces he produces from iron rich temmoku to exotic Ki-Seto tied together in forms used across his diverse surfaces. This broad, low guinomi has had the most perfect custom-tailored suit made to encase the buff, softish clay body with a wonderful foot which without context could easily be mistaken for a larger chawan, just my type of piece. 

Though this piece is quite attractive in natural light and incandescent lighting, it clearly comes out of its shell and leaves all inhibitions behind when highlighted by the afternoon sun. Like with a number of potters that are on my short list, I am always looking forward to seeing my next Sasaki piece be it temmoku or Ki-Seto.

TWO-VUE

Illustrated is a rather robust and dynamic haiyu mizusashi with a mesmerizing array of color formed by flowing ash engulfing the form and creating a rather unforgettable impression. Created by Kato Toyohisa there are elements of the old traditional archetypes but this has a distinctly modern approach with areas of quick incised marks and planes across the surface capped off with a deep gallery and complimentary lid. Rooted in function, this water jar gives off a sculptural vibe though it is neither sculpture nor classically functional but rather somewhere in between where tradition and creativity meet. Though the base of the ashy surface is straw yellow, the are rivers of greens, blues, greys and orange mingled throughout the landscape that give way to rich, deep iron where the glaze has not covered or parted ways with which give the pot a sense of movement. At first glance this is a rather strong and present piece, it is not a quiet pot but rather seems a bit celebratory adding to the ritual of chanoyu or livening up a shelf in whatever environment it is placed. 

For comparison's sake, I am showing this mizusashi using two distinct light sources, a two-vue.

 

TWELVE PLANES

Illustrated is a yunomi teacup that a collector and friend sent to me recently as a gift. Knowing my interest in the work of jeff Oestriech he thought it would find a good home here though he is insistent that I use it for any possible beverage (or M&Ms in a pinch). I was hesitant to use it and almost got there on the first night of its arrival but it went unused until a couple of days later when I went all in and poured a small portion of bourbon into the cup, I was all in now and I finally broke it in. I am not sure if the honey bourbon tasted any better in this cup but the experience was a bit better using a hand made pot and a gift at that.      

As mentioned, this was made by Jeff Oestriech some long while back and though the surface clearly shows some influence in the MacKenzie monotone, the pot is clearly something new. Gently squared, each side has three casual faceted cuts creating a total of twelve planes which though no longer round make for a comfortable grip and lots of lip to imbibe from. Though the exterior profile of the foot remains round, the cuts create a distinctly complimentary addition as a four-footed pedestal that match up quite well with the soft geometry of the yunomi overall. Though I was reticent to use this yunomi, I am glad I have broken it in as nothing beats using a friendly pot, gifted from a friend and made by a potter who thinks a bit outside the box but keeps a watchful eye on function just as it should be.

FAR-OFF

This is number 3 of three pieces that I had sent to the teabowl exhibition in Philly. I opted for this somewhat conservative, stacked stone Oribe teabowl over swirled slip and some Kuro-Oribe accents. I think I choose poorly apparently as it is still available though I thought it a fairly strong piece, oh well, I guess it can always be used for chowder, chili, cashews or carambola. Thrown out of stoneware, tooled and given a thin layer of swirled slip, this bowl is simply put, based on two smooth stones stacked on top of each other like the base of some far-off cairn dotting the landscape of your mind. This teabowl is a nice handful and honestly is as simple a bowl as I could make which I was thinking was exactly the point.

TO WHAT END

In the past handful of cycles around the sun, I have noticed that there seems to be individuals who aren’t willing to stand on their own accolades. In case that was vague, what I am referring to is potters who posts old photos of some other potter’s work and then try to take credit for it. I guess my biggest question is why would you do this? Is this just me being naïve, what is the end goal, to what end or purpose especially in this digital age when many can easily see and spot the deception. At the end of the day, at least in my eyes, those who undertake such nonsensical subterfuge only sow distrust and malign their own credibility in the long run and honestly it is a bit sad. I may not be able to conclusively prove the deception, but every potter handles clay in their own unique way and when the extant works of the troll clearly differs from the work, they are taking credit for, in my mind, the charade is over.    

Illustrated is a pot I made a while back, oh wait, no I didn’t, this is, in fact a large Iga vase form by Kojima Kenji. This tall iron and ash glazed vase shows areas of tataki paddling and though it doesn’t say so on the box, the surface makes me think of his Tetsu-gama, iron fired pieces. The form was casually thrown and is finished off with a perfect, wonky mouth and lip that compliments the pot to perfection. For anyone following Kojima Kenji’s work, it is clear how he handles clay, it is particular and easily recognized, carrying on from form to form, and among varying sizes and styles across most of his time in clay. The clay is imbued with confidence, purpose and determination where his knowledge of Ko-Iga acts as a springboard to create rather distinct, modern pots in a tradition that is constantly moving forward and dare I say, entirely his own.

2 + 2 = A GROUP

Illustrated is a group of four spirit or bourbon cups I made a while back and shipped West. They were thrown out of a sandy small batch white stoneware and roughly faceted before two were amber glazed and the other two were given the Oribe treatment. All four were thrown off the hump and perhaps my favorite feature beyond the lift off the taller feet is the areas where the amber or Oribe glazes have collected creating deep, dark pools, a perfect accent for the forms. This picture was a rather quick, impromptu photo of the “gang of four” and will have to act as the only record of these pieces which actually started as nine and was whittled down to four by the customer acquiring them for a friend cross country.

HJW 1953-2025

I learned recently of the passing of a fine collector and friend, Dr. Howard J. Waldman of San Diego. Howard was beyond generous and gracious and had collected most of his life from bonsai to glass paperweights and objects to modern Japanese pottery. He collected pottery up until a few years back where he donated a portion of his collection to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, parted ways with some pieces and kept a few select pieces to enrich his new environment in San Diego. We bonded over pottery when he discovered Japanese modern pottery through my blog and shared a real love of the work of Tsukigata Nahiko though he was interested in mainly Ningen Kokuho. Howard had a dry and insightful sense of humor and wit and I can only remember disagreeing with him on one single event regarding a Bizen vase. He was always willing to share and was a wonderful springboard regarding collecting and was also willing to share his keen medical insights on more than one occasion. I mentioned Howard’s generosity and interest in Tsukigata, he was the first collector that I knew personally that had a rather nice Oni-Shino chawan and sensing my envy, one day it just showed up here as a gift to my wife and I as our anniversary present. I am sure there is a lot more that I could write about Howard but what I can say is that his presence was a gift and his passing will leave a void that his memory can only marginally fill, he will be missed.         

This photo was taken in Kansas City before Howard relocated to San Diego, the top shelf shows a small portion of his collection. From top left to right; Shimizu Uichi, Miwa Kyusetsu XI, three Shimizu Uichi, Tsukigata Nahiko Oni-Shino mizusashi and a very early Oni-Shino hanaire which was illustrated in the book, ONI-SHINO.

THREE-PART

I am sure if you happen to read any of my blog-posts, it seems like an overused description but when I first saw this pot, timeless just echoed through my mind at literally the speed of sound. This very well fired Shigaraki hanaire is by Furutani Michio and is clearly inspired by the Chinese cong form crafted in jade and ceramics that dates all the way back to the Shang Dynasty. Totemic in its form and aspiration, this bottle was hand-built for a coarse clay with alternating impressions decorating the surface and breaking up the long planes of each side as well as catching ash for a rather appealing effect. The ash runs a wide array of colors surrounding the vase from greens, greys, light blues and even rich emerald greens making for a rather abstract landscape painted across a rich ceramic canvas. Though clearly based on a form that goes back perhaps 3000 years, Furutani Michio has blended the old with his inner voice of what is possible where vision, influences and tradition come together like a great three-part harmony.

ELEMENTS

I really enjoy making covered pots, especially easy to use, not too large, not to small pieces of which I think this pot is a classic example of. This is from a series exploring a form that blends my old “whirling dervish” pots with an exaggerated bamboo node association. The thick combed slip has the look of sudare, bamboo blinds while at the same time could be seen as a dense bamboo grove swaying in the wind finished off in my Kuro-Oribe surface from top to bottom.    

Beyond the form, this pot is about the movement of the glaze partially created by the thick combed slip, moving diagonally while creating dark pools of green to black on the highpoints and transition lines which is clearly highlighted by the sun in the second picture. There is nothing earth-shattering about this form, the scale or even the surface but I would like to think when you assemble all the elements it is certainly a bit better than any single detail and as a potter, I think that is the best I can ask for.

 

Kyoto Shino

I guess when you think about it, Shino and Kyoto don’t necessarily spring into mind at the same time but so many styles and traditions are being undertaken vast distances from their origins, it is just the way things are. This shimmery Yohen Shino guinomi was made in Kyoto by Nakamura Kotaro and has a rather pleasant form that is reminiscent of larger chawan with a perfectly proportioned foot that has a slight hexagonal flair to it. The guinomi has areas of thick Shino applied over a thinner base of glaze while much of the interior and exterior are blanketed in an iridescent sheen which is unmistakable even in dim, low light. I should also mention the lip is highlighted by a wonderful blue-grey collar that is also tinged with areas of dark, deep black for another eye-catching detail on this small little gem. This was my first actual encounter with Nakamura Kotaro’s work and certainly makes me look forward to seeing more, a nice big chawan would be most welcome.

 

SOLO

I posted this photo up covered in some Xmas trapping back for Christmas and thought to present it in a more uncluttered fashion. This intricately glazed Shino oval baker form is adorned with a solo fish motif and just enough other glaze accents to bring the piece and its imagery to life. Made by Bruce Gholson, sometime in the 1990s, this was a last-minute Christmas gift that we purchased for each other as finding pots in this style seems to be a bit less easy than expected. At over 21” long this makes for a wonderful using piece as well as just looking darn good just sitting around and collecting dust. As I mentioned previously, I was first exposed to Bruce’s work way back at the American craft Gallery in Cleveland, Ohio and we have moved his pieces from location to location over the years and though I am not relishing any more moves, I could be perfectly fine with finding another Gholson pot or two.

CHIPPED SURFACE

Illustrated is a stoneware teabowl that has a random, almost chipped surface, a type of faceting that has been around for quite some time. This bowl was glazed in my Kuro-Oribe style surface but for some reason has a lot of rather runny, droozy effects cascading down the bowl and collecting on the ridges creating a rather pleasant deep black to dark blue appearance adding a bit more to the landscape of the bowl. Though this was not intentional, it happens now and again when I get a bit aggressive in the final glaze applications.  This teabowl and a few others were recently added to my Trocadero marketplace if you want to see a few more pictures;

https://www.trocadero.com/stores/albedo3studio/catalog/

FORM CONSCIOUS

I have to say, this is a form that you don’t encounter that often by the versatile and very form conscious mind and hands of Kawai Takeichi. As is pretty clean, this is a molded henko form and since I am not really so good at making molds, I suspect this is a four-part mold, correct me if I am wrong. The angles, planes, dividing boundaries and mouth all work in perfect harmony with the form if just a bit busier than I am used to seeing from the potter. Using all the lines of the piece, Kawai Takeichi skillfully applied shinsha, gosu and tetsu-yu glazes to create this patchwork assemblage across a tall and commanding monolith that is clearly rooted in some architectural elements or another. The glazing and firing carefully present a semi-crisp landscape where the edges and meeting junctures blend ever so little in a soft and appealing manner. As I said, I don’t usually see such complex forms among the Kawai school potters but this one is clearly a welcome addition to Takeichi’s body of work and the tradition in general.

TEABOWL EXHIBITION

Just wanted to call attention to the third Philadelphia International Teabowl Exhibition curated by mark Tyson, this starts on 2/1 and can be seen in person in Wallingford, PA or on the internet at; https://communityartscenter.org/. As mentioned, this is the third such exhibition and includes pieces from around the world, over 400 pieces will be on display. This is absolutely worth checking out!    

I wanted to mention that I was lucky enough to be included in this exhibition, showing three Oribe style teabowls, two thrown and alter with cut feet and the third a more conservative thrown stacked stones style piece. Illustrated is one of the T&A bowls, thrown out of a small batch clay with sand, the form was slightly manipulated and then softly faceted exposing more texture before the base and foot were addressed using a small piece of wood to cut away the unwanted clay. The feet are on the smaller side as I really enjoy this look and precarious feeling, where the pieces were fired on pins, the marks were then covered over in small dots of gold lacquer epoxy.     

This is a new style of bowl for me, well new for 2024 and has sprung out of more conservative attempts at making such pieces and hopefully have a slightly more casual and free spirit. The Oribe glazed used, which I refer to as Kuro-Oribe has quite a few tones of Oribe green through-out the form and also shows off a degree of blue-grey drooze as gravity certainly played its part in the making. In point of fact, it is gravity that has driven me to firing these on pins as a teabowl lugging around a heavy shelf is surely less functional than I intended. If you go to the exhibition, please be sure to give these bowls a once over.

 

RAQQA-DUO

Though not an exact match, these two Toruko-ao guinomi, currently referred to as the Raqqa-duo are close enough in form, surface and design. Collected separately over perhaps a half a year, these guinomi are both nearly the exact weight, size and though the decoration is a bit different, the glaze is spot on enough for them to be a pair. Though I constantly refer to myself as an “accidental collector” of guinomi, I truly enjoy Kato Kenji’s work and once I ended up with the first one it seemed a bit of a shame to pass on the second. Now that I have the two, I guess the next plausible step is to search around and find a tokkuri that matches and if along the way, numbers three, four and five show up, then kismet has interfered once again in my collecting.

RUSTY STEEL

This modest wood fired pot looks every bit the aftermath of some volcanic eruption or fiery geological event. The mountainous form, with uneven and craggy mouth perched atop the piece trails areas of running ash, fire scorched effects and some areas of fused and flashed charcoal coat the surface and completing a rathe elemental and primal form and surface. The form has a rather engaging sense of proportion and line, both mimicking some distant peak in the Japanese Alps while giving off a sense of some modern constructed sculpture made of welded plates of rusty steel.  Perhaps one of the most captivating features is how the base is raised where the wings of the form spread out creating a wonderful shadow line and a feeling of upward motion.  

This Iga-yaki henko form was made by Kojima Kenji several decades ago but shows his innovative sense of form, where little is out of bounds even when it strays from the traditional concepts of the region. In this case, the sharp lines, vivid surface and rich and intense firing have conspired with the potter to create something new within the Iga tradition and as with any tradition, a nudge now and again to move it into the future is quite frankly, never a bad thing.

SURFACE

This is another one of those pieces that is all about the surface. The simple form is the perfect bones for the use of the kohiki, crackle slip over which a thin layer of haiyu ash glaze is used to seal the surface and present a complete canvas. The landscape on this haiyu kohiki chawan by Kako Katsumi is emulated some distant and exotic place where texture reigns supreme and engulfs the rounded, functional form and there is even more to see in the interior.    

Kako Katsumi born in Kyoto and working in Tamba has blended the aesthetics of both locations to create a rather diverse and rich palette of forms, textures, glazes and ideas. Though seemingly simple in its constituent parts, this bowl is a wonderful, lyrical assemblage of clay, form, surface and fire which Kako has worked toward a mastery of where he is able to move back and forth between a diverse vocabulary of ideas and avenues. This chawan beyond being a tactile handful is just one example of what decades of testing, firing and experiments will get you where Kako Katsumi has certainly proved his mettle.

SCOT-FREE

This was a quick, impromptu picture on the slab roller, just before getting this teabowl packed and shipped out the door a couple months back. The stoneware clay had sand and some grog wedged into it prior to being thrown and then it was rather hastily faceted just after it was thrown. The surface ended up with a lot of texture and then once bisque I used my saffron yellow glaze over the amber, adding a thick coat. The results show a fair degree of movement with lots of the original clay texture showing throw for a rather rustic and modest appearance. Given the amount of glaze and my mortal enemy, gravity, I was fortunate this walked away scot-free despite the aggressive glazing as all has ended well despite such a turbulent beginning and reckless glazing.

IN THE DETAILS

This clearly isn’t the best detail photo but for those who have never seen the iron surfaces of Tsukigata Nahiko I think this gives a hint of what is there. This detail is from an Oni-Shino chawan and shows the lively streaking that gravity has lent a hand in where there are areas of iridescence which is like silk cloth reflecting in the sunlight as it moves about in a breeze. I am not trying to be overly poetic or flowery in the description but these surfaces boil down to what is in the details, like building blocks they build the aesthetic wrapped around the skillfully crafted bones. At least from my viewpoint, it is an inescapable fact, each Tsukigata landscape presents a myriad of these details and paints imagery that is quite easy to get lost in and all that on just some little bowl. 

COMPLIMENTARY

I realize that I have posted each of these pots up before, individually but since my computer crash, I have been salvaging pictures and files from the old to the new. In doing so, I ran across this photo where both the Kohyama Yasuhisa haikaburi chawan and the Takahashi Shunsai Shigaraki mizusashi were here at the same time. What strikes me about these pots is the diversity of approach from the rather traditional Shigaraki style to the more modern, haikaburi firing of Kohyama. Despite their possible “ideological” and firing differences, these two distinct surfaces work well with each other, complimentary in their aesthetics and function. As you boil (!) down the intention of each of these vessels where the simplest instructions of “boil water, prepare tea and drink it”*, both this chawan and mizusashi are up to the task where simplicity and the uncluttered are the ideal. 

( *Rikyu’s distillation of what tea ceremony, chanoyu is essentially about.)

BACK OFF

Illustrated is one of the hexagonal teabowls that actually made it through the firing. This one is a gently glazed Kuro-Oribe piece, actually more just plain Oribe where I backed off the final two coat of glaze so that it didn’t meld with the kiln shelf. As you may imagine, the alternating deep furrows on each plain of the hex act as channels for the glaze as it melts and temperature and gravity converge to create issues with the surface. As you can see there is a distinct glaze roll forming at the foot which aided in keeping the molten glass from ruining the bowl. I have been struggling with this technique as the furrows and application of multiple glazes are what I like from the surface, back off too much and it is okay, go too far and well, I am sure you get the picture.       

On a side note, if you look at the other side of the foot ring you can see a large drop of accumulated glaze that formed just a hair’s breadth away from the shelf, luck squared.

KURO (KURO-ORIBE)

Illustrated is a classic black and tinted green glazed kinuta hanaire by Takauchi Shugo. The proportions of this vase are subtle and nuances, slight amount of inward taper to the base echoed in the neck making for an eye pleasing form all around. The black curdled glaze at first glance appears just like a wet Seto-Guro together with a clear ash glaze that has hints of green adding a touch of the dramatic to the surface which has been broken up into four soft planes with areas of spatula work and gentle faceting.  The hakogaki is a bit ambiguous reading only, black vase but I have seen several other examples that read Kuro-Oribe so despite the lack of a clear direction I am operating under the assumption that this implies Kuro-Oribe as well. 

Takauchi Shugo is rather well known for his variations of Oribe so these rich, deep, wet black surfaces round out this oeuvre quite well. Tall and even noble, this form, cloaked in this mysterious surface makes for a wonderful guardian in an alcove, on a desk or shelf and is just waiting to be put to use which in this case is to just look good in the afternoon sun.

CAN I GET A ROLL WITH THAT III

If you think about it, ash glazes have been around for a really long time, perhaps not as long as Egyptian fiance (6000BC) but they did begin to appear as early as 1500BC in ancient China, during the Shang period. Like many potters ash glazes rarely cease to amaze me and as a collector, Kimura Morinobu always springs to mind using a diverse array of ash types creating glaze after glaze. Illustrated is another kaeda pine ash glazed guinomi with a small fractured ice pool on the interior and a rather exotic, fat glaze roll on the exterior as the glaze melted and gained just enough momentum before being frozen in time.         

Though I certainly think this is a rather nice package overall when you turn over this guinomi you are struck by the sheer luxury where the surface has welled up to be this perfect boundary, near gem like between the glaze and the bare clay and foot. Like natural, not quite gem quality emerald, the glaze roll has varying colors and intensity and is fractured adding even more to the overall effect. When you pick up this guinomi, it is immediately clear that there is a hidden feature just waiting to be seen as the size, depth and conspicuousness of the ash hits the fingers and makes its self known. I have not handled many of these kaeda glazed pieces by Kimura Morinobu but would love to get a chawan in hand where the effects could be bigger and bolder and hopefully, I can get a roll with that as well.

 

AT LEAST IT'S NOT GREEN

I am not 100% sure but I think this as out of my last stoneware/ porcelain/ small batch kiln that I fired for 2024. Not particularly large, the body was thrown to resemble one of my teabowl shapes with a set in lid and large, hollow thrown knob that is quite easy to grasp. The surface of the covered jar and most of the lid is covered in thick white slip and was then combed, kushime style to create a lot of texture over which this honey amber was used. Though hard to see, the surface was covered in the slightest coating of black iron oxide to create a dusky and slightly droozy surface which I personally think adds a layer to the piece. I really love making covered pots and this moderate sized piece is good for a wide array of uses and let's be honest, at least it's not green.

RIN II

Despite the carved exterior and interior, there is a purity to this hakuji chawan that harkens back to its antecedence, the Sung Dynasty. This finely thrown porcelain chawan has a wonderful lotus design carved into the bowl that stands proud against surface creating a rather tactile experience while the eyes also register the finely incised decoration on the interior. As if this exterior and interior decoration wasn't quite enough, the lip of the chawan is rendered to try to assist the carved lotus design adding an additional layer of detail adding to the sense of both antiquity and modernity.         

This hakuji porcelain chawan was made by Kurashima Taizan of the Daizan-gama of Sue-cho, Fukuoka, as I had previously mentioned, "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" and exudes a Sung charm while maintaining a distinctly Japanese aesthetic (as I am sure Chinese ceramic collectors would attest). Taizan excels at finely thrown, crafted pottery with varying degrees of carved and incised surfaces which can be clearly seen in this chawan as well as the small lobed vase that I posted some while back. Kurashima is rather fluent in the use of seihakuji and hakuji as one can see in this chawan and the previous post showing off a sensitivity to both purity (rin) and nobility handed down within the family and honed over decades and decades of dedicated pursuit of a specific aesthetic.

IN SEASON

I was sent a couple of pictures of this powerful Kumano Kuroemon hanaire and when I asked to use the photos, the proviso was that I did so while in season. So I bumped this photo of this crusty, well fired Kuma-Shino vase and robai (chimonanthus praecox, "wintersweet") adorning the tokonoma to the top of the to use list. The sparse branches, punctuated by accents of yellow work well with the vase as well as the surroundings and if you look carefully to the right of the photo, through the small opening in the alcove    you can clearly see some of the characteristic bold shoga of the Bear himself. Quite the display with what movie goers nowadays would call an added Easter-egg.

HNY 2025

Though both tokkuri and guinomi are repurposed and impressed into ceremonial duty, just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy New Year!  "Kanpai!"