HAGI NERIAGE

If memory serves me, the very first piece of Hagi neriage pottery I ever encountered was a faceted vase form by Yamato Yasuo. The vase was a variety of earthy tones covered in a semi-transparent ash glaze which created an insight into the geology of the throwing. This neriage koro was made by Yamato Tsutomu, son of Yasuo and as one would expect, it shows many of the same characteristics and overall sensibility. The neriage that surrounds this koro has an array of earthy tones and pattern like the side of a hill, cleaved open and covered in a wisp of mist circling the form adding a dimension to the pot that keeps the eye engaged before moving on and upward to the lid. Thrown and patterned in a similar fashion, the lid has a grouping of triangular piercing dedicated to the function of the pot, it is simple and direct and completes the package in part by echoing the pattern at the bottom of the three footed base. Though clearing maneuvering within his father’s footsteps, Yamato Tsutomu works within a tradition begun by the father and now passed on to son and future generations.