KAKI-TEMMOKU

On some level it is easy to see the influence, style and surfaces of Shimizu Uichi in this small chawan style guinomi. As you focus in closer on the form, it becomes clearer that it is in fact by Shimizu Yasutaka, son of Uichi and the perfect student to carry on his father’s legacy and profound knowledge and use of iron glazes. Thrown out of a well textured, buff style stoneware, the exposed clay has a crinkled, chirimen-hada style texture that is then covered over in a deep rich, dark iron glaze that has had areas of a drifty, iron red kaki like glaze applied over which has been stretch and drawn thin exposing cells of dark black piercing the secondary veil. Though well known for his use of turtles as a motif in two and three dimensions, I believe Shimizu Yasutaka is at his very best when he makes use of layered iron glazes like this kaki-temmoku (persimmon temmoku); they are simple, direct and to the point and always beckon to be used.