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.
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