It is rather rare that I would collect a used koro, I have been burnt in the past, no pun intended regarding the overwhelming and sometimes offensive odor that is next to impossible to get rid of. I decided to take a chance on an obviously used koro recently, mostly because it is a less often encountered style by Yasuda Zenko, Kuro-Seiji (Black celadon). When the package arrived, I first set it in front of Khan, our first line of sensory defense and in mere seconds he moved on without interest, I opened the box and then unpacked the bubble-wrapped wood storage box, back to Khan and once again nothing. Feeling emboldened, I unpacked the wood box to find two distinct surprises, first off, the koro had almost zero scent, perhaps a lingering trace from years gone by but nothing of an issue whatsoever. The second surprise was that the lid is pure silver and weighs in at 57 grams and in spot value actual exceeds the cost of the koro in the first place.
As for the Yasuda koro, it is rather
traditional in form, resting on three feet, with an unglazed ring where the
firing support went, the interior and exterior are glazed in the same manner
presenting a somewhat dark and brooding appearance. I imagine the overall
appearance is quite enhanced with wafting smoke coming through the three leaf
like apertures, cut and then bent out of the lid with fine lines, delicately
chased between each of the three leaves. Though not exactly a typical or
traditional surface, what Yasuda Zenko created is rather modern expressive with
a hint of an enduring Kyoto aesthetic, I think maybe I won’t scrap the lid
after all(!).
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