I don’t think
it can be very easy to come from a family of traditional Iga potters and
balance that tradition with the idea of self and modernity. In many instances
it takes distance to develop that voice, in this case moving from Mie
Prefecture to Paris, France and come home again with a new understanding of
tradition and personal aesthetics. In this case, the potter is Tanimoto Yoh and
though this is an older work, he has clearly assembled the simplicity of a
tradition with a modern take in the form of this metal lid for this koro, just
like a collision of ideas, the marriage of aesthetics and materials has worked
quite well and showcases a willingness to work in the moment and not
necessarily in the past. The body of
this small Iga koro was thickly potted, the form is simple showing throwing
marks and then the form is broken up with incised spatula indentations creating
a lobed form. The lid is hand hammered copper with abstract geometric patterns
pierced through the piece, sukashi style to allow the incense within the escape
and permeate the immediate area. Though a rather traditional vessel, the koro
takes on a rather modern appearance where it seems like the 17th
century and the 1950s coexist in perfect harmony.
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