I SEE WHERE YOU ARE GOING

I think as you look at this very early Shino mizusashi by Tamaoki Yasuo, it is rather easy to think to yourself, I see where you are going based on this pot and his work of the past five decades. I am not 100% sure when this was made though I suspect in the 80s based on several shows of his work I attended in 1991 and 1992 as well as a number of catalogues, but his manner of handling clay and his glazing is more or less easy to identify even in this early and less mature work. The fine mogusa clay was casually thrown with little manipulation off the wheel, the gallery is study and perfect for this thick, thrown lid and knob which is just right for the scale and function. Though early, you can see the foundation of many of Tamaoki’s Shino formulas in this glaze which marries well with the softish form, simple throwing marks, taper and indentation. The glaze appears to be applied rather haphazardly but there are several applications to get to this point showing off a rich red where the pot was held during glazing to a soft, slightly toasty white running down the surface making full effect of gravity and showcasing the vertical qualities of the pot. 

Now I won’t go as far as to say it has that old Edo style appearance but it does capture some of that feeling while making a break from the stiffer forms and glazes of many of the 70s Mino potters, excluding Arakawa and Tokuro. In truth, I find it rather intriguing to be able to draw that “through line” in the work from present day all the way back to where it began.