FIVE FOR FRIDAY; FURUTANI MICHIO

Besides his expressive smile, when I think about or talk with other collectors about Furutani Michio what normally springs to mind are his slab henko of varying sizes and surfaces that are all as expressive as the maker himself. My understanding and correct me if i am wrong is that Furutani Michio did not solely come up with the idea and form of these henko but there are extant examples made in the Valley and of course made by other potters subsequently but none embody the spirit, tradition and traditional firing as he was able to infuse into the local clay. Though there seems to be a most frequently created size, the standard henko if you will, the forms all vary in proportions and yes even the scale from rather small to quite large and imposing in their presence. Though there is a constant commonality to this body of work what really sets these pieces apart giving voice to each unique creation is the varied firing effects and styles that end up painting each one and presenting its completed narrative and these range from almost quite fire color, hi-iro pieces with just a dusting of ash here and there which many time surround resisted, almost botan-mochi style resists to full blown heavy ash and charcaol covering the surface like a testament to the ferocity of the fire and the will to survive. 

Each of these henko are unique and expressive tied together by a creative idea and force that exploded from the mind and dedication of a potter, Furutani Michio who will forever be remembered as part of the very tradition he championed without how, the Shigaraki Valley would have been a much different place.   This group of Shigaraki henko were all made at varying times by Shigaraki/ Iga potter, Furutani Michio mostly ranging from the mid-1980s up until 1999, as you can tell these are not my photos but come from a number of exhibition catalogues on the potter.   

My intent in choosing these particular pieces was to showcase the diversity and commonality of this body of work and admittedly I choose pieces that I have the strongest affinity for and I make no apologies for my bias. I should also mention though I have seen and handled nearly two dozen of this henko form and photographed most of them, however I choose to use examples that Furutani Michio choose for his exhibitions acting as de facto, undisputed ideals of this form from the potter's perspective.    

Though most likely highly subjective, this group starts out with the henko that most appeals to me, it is filled with power and conversation and the proportions are ideal and the wood fired landscape portrays a soft, semi-abstract landscape as the coloration changes from the running ash to charcoal bed effects. The additional four pieces were culled from dozens of possibilities, pieces I thought gave an insight into Furutani's henko forms, pieces that showed off surfaces and proportions and yes, to be honest pieces that I like and make my Friday even more enjoyable.