STANDARD BEARER

I thought it more than about time to follow up on my MAKER'S MARKS post showcasing the work of Furutani Michio by putting up an overall shot of the Iga vase in question. In some respects there is nothing remarkable about this vase in regards to Furutani Michio's body of work, it is certainly a classic pot, well fired, carefully crafted and articulated with just the right amount of incised marks to bring the pot to life and tie all of the elements of the piece together. Though not remarkable, the truth is that his body of work in his later period is mostly of a rather uniformly high level of skill and artistry, the forms are filled with strength, vigor and purpose while the firings are among the best of the late Showa and early Heisei periods, in other words he was at the very top of his game.    

This particular Iga vase has a wonderful posture and attitude where the form, marks and surface are seamlessly integrated with details painted across the surface so plentiful that it is possible to get lost in the parts and miss the feudal presentation of the whole.  This is yet another Furutani trait that sets his work apart from many of his contemporaries and undoubtedly why his influence and style is still emulated and admired over 20 years after his early passing. It is rather easy for me to wax poetic when discussing Furutani Michio's body of work and his individual pots, have handled many of his pieces and meeting him on a number of occasions included just as he had emptied a kiln, dozens of pots all spread out on a large blue tarp, but through dedication, traditional ideals and his writings, he was and still is the standard bearer of the Iga and Shigaraki traditions which he helped move into the 21st century. 

1:2 x 3:2= 砧

 

For just the briefest moment today, a sliver of sun came in through the back window on to the shelves on the wall and for just an instant, this pot peaked out from the shadows. Showing off a coating of all natural ash this anagama fired Iga kinuta vase shows off its simple surface that is composed of a myriad of subtle colors that make up this ice sheet compressed within the line of the shoulder and a border of charcoal from where the pot rested during the end of the intense wood firing. I really respond to the interaction between clay and Sun but in the end, the pot has to deliver the goods all on its own, the lighting is just the delivery system of the senses in this case. In terms of this mallet, this is likely one of the simplest and purest kinuta forms that I have seen by Furutani Michio, stripped down, slightly angled sides and neck the minimal amount of marks around the torso of the piece. Fired in presumably one of the best spot in his kiln, Furutani allowed the firing process to write a majority of the story across the surface of the pot which as with many of his pieces at first glance seems a simple story but like many a great work, it is the subtleties, the nuances and the variations in color and light that portray a much more vivid and complex narrative at which this potter excelled. Even in the shadows, it is easy to see the mastery of Furutani Michio on full display and easily recognizable as Iga at its modern best.

DO OVER

Several years back I posted up a single photo and a video of a Furutani Michio Iga chawan. The video was shot using a cheap turn-table and an equally as inexpensive digital camera that let me take 3 minute videos. Considering the date, I thought it would be only fitting to try to build a new slideshow video with the photos I have on hand to do the piece the justice it deserves. A first glance it seems a rather simple Iga teabowl but in truth it is a noble and complex chawan that has many of the tell tale characteristices of Furutani Michio's pottery from form, firing and foot. I hope this slideshow gives a more insightful and comprehensive look into a classic chawan by perhaps one of the most important wood fire potters of the 20th Century.

You can see the original post and video here;
https://albedo3studio.blogspot.com/2014/07/timing.html

AN INVITATION TO TEA

A long while back I wrote about an early 17th century Shigaraki chawan that belongs to the Cleveland Museum of Art and recently I found a photo of a chawan that though rather modern, has many of the same attributes of the original from form, posture and overall presence. This chawan is by Furutani Michio, made in the 1990s and has the very same attitude as if extending an invitation to tea. This is a simple bowl, high sided with casual but not overly emphasized throwing marks with a slight flair as the bowl progresses to the lip. I imagine it is a rather tactile bowl with the areas of peppered ash creating a familiar and active sensation. Though these two bowls were created centuries apart, it is obvious the Furutani Michio considered the exact same functional and aesthetic sensibilities as the 17th potter; how does the chawan feel in the hand, considering the weight, circumference, the lip, the tea pool and the appearance; basically, how do you make a chawan that appeals to all of the senses. Though if you were to put the CMA chawan and this one by Furutani Michio side by side, there are obvious differences but it is the similarities that ties the old to the new and after all, that is the best that a potter steeped in tradition can ever hope to do.

REPEAT OFFENDER

I received an email the other day in which I was jokingly refered to as a "repeat offender" in that I tend to post/write about wood fired pots and Tsukigata way too often to which I retorted, it's my blog and I'll post what I want to. I have received emails like this before and it is absolutely true, wood fired pots get a lot of attention, I am mostly putting up pieces that speak to me and that I am affected by pots by Furutani Michio, Kojima Kenji, Tsukigata Nahiko, Kumano Kuroemon and others who always manage to get my mind reeling. To switch things up, ever so slightly I choose this wonderful Kawai Kanjiro henko that I have had in my pictures file for quite some time. I am particularly drawn to the stoic and purposeful form but it is the excellent articulation of the design and borders in underglaze iron, copper red and gosu blue on the gohonde style backdrop that makes this piece so eloquently conversant and immediately grabs my attention. I have seen a number of Kawai henko very similar but the background with a subtle mix of greys, lavenders and creamy tans make for a rather striking surface in which the canvas is almost as pleasing as the painted design. Even though there hasn't been a traditionally wood fired piece up in several weeks, I hope this takes a small step to a more thoughtful balance of styles and traditions.

IN PERPETUO

Illustrated is a simple guinomi that is about as pure and uncomplicated as they come but it is filled with cues and details that make it a marvelously compact pot. Made by Furutani Michio, this Shigaraki guinomi is perfectly suited for the task at hand and is animated by the rhythm in which it was thrown and the ash covered surface all the while being perched atop a carefully crafted foot with just the right amount of lift to beg the viewer to pick it up. In the throwing a slight amount of undulation was created in the lip and mouth further accentuating the movement of the piece, a skill that after years of practice and experience just comes naturally without any fuss. The simpler a pot the more demands are made on both the potter and viewer and that is exactly how it should be, a perpetual conversation between maker and user.

MOMENTARY RESULTS

Like a lot of the rest of the country, the weather has not been exactly ideal here and there are those times when I am certain I may never see sunshine again and the past two days have been just that. Yesterday we had ice and snow with more ice on top building creating a blanket of crusty ice across the region, but no sun to speak of and today between intermittent icy rain and thick fog the day has been bleak at best until for a brief few moment that sun poked through the clouds and the resulting picture is the momentary result. I grabbed the camera and took the shot just in time for the sun to disappear and then checked to see if the camera captured what my eye had seen and luckily enough it did. Half cloaked in darkness a chaire emerged from the shadows to reveal a wonderful surface of ash with a rich bidoro drip reminding me of an ice coated rock face in the midst of a spring thaw. This particular Shigaraki chaire is by the late kiln and pottery master, Furutani Michio and was made sometime in the first decade of his career. I have made a slideshow of the pot and will put it up at another time but I thought for today, this image would suffice and would make a dreary Wednesday just a bit brighter.

MORE DETAILS

Illustrated is a detail shot from the Furutani Michio hanging vase; though visible from the front of the pot, this highlighted detail is a bit difficult to see in the photo that was posted. The area surrounding the mouth is covered in a beautiful coating of  jade colored ash culminating in a rich emerald bidoro drip that is bigger than my thumbnail in size. It is easy to get lost in the singular particulars of almost any object but it is all of these wonderful pieces/parts that creates the entirety of a pot, like the myriad of pointillist dabs and where would the LA PONT NEUF by Petitjean be without every last detail?

"No art is good unless you can feel how it's put together. By and large it's the eye, the hand and if it's any good, you feel the body. Most of the best stuff seems to be complete gesture, the totality of the artist's body; you can really lean on it."  Frank Stella

 

ANOTHER YEAR

I took this photo a week or so ago and was struck by not only the overall image but the completeness of the pot in use. The vase is by the late anagama master Furutani Michio and is the largest of this type of kakugata kake-ire that I have seen, measuring in at over 17" long and comes from one of the larger collections of Furutani pieces that I know of at over two dozen pieces. As can be seen in the photo, the vase was carefully fired on it side creating a face that clearly shows the scars and position of the piece in the kiln while the other angle of the face shows a coating of ash running toward the ridge that divides the front of the pot. The back of the piece is covered with rich glass creating a wonderful landscape that moves around the pot like a feudal emakimono. The use of vibrant red chrysanthemum bring the vase to completion and create a stunning counterpoint to the rustic and worn appearance of the pot. I am in constant awe of the beauty, serenity and nobility of the pots of Furutani Michio who as a modern potter was able to infuse his pottery with the essence of what it is to be Shigaraki or Iga while pursuing a singular personal voice that can be heard in his clay sometimes loud and clear and at other times a simple, subtle whisper.

"Truth exists for the wise, beauty for the feeling heart." Johann von Schiller (1759-1805)

(Used with the kind permission of a private collector.)

FRINGE BENEFITS

When I first set up my marketplace on the web, my expectation was to sell some of the pottery I made as well as to find new homes for pots that I had collected to study. From the beginning I realized I couldn't keep every pot that I bought and the thought was to buy pieces that I wanted to learn from and in some other way would leave an impression on me and consequently, my work. What I didn't expect was that fellow collectors, friends and even customers would ask me to try to sell pots that had for any number of reasons, no longer suited the collector or collection. This has undoubtedly been a wonderful fringe benefit of the website. Over the years I usually see a good handful of pots a month that pass through my hands and go on to new collectors, collections and even the occasional private or public collection. It is quite enjoyable to have new pots come by that I can study and as the pieces don't cost me anything, the price is always right.

Illustrated is a rather well fired Iga vase by the late Furutani Michio. This is a pot that was bought from a Japanese dealer and over time, the collector concluded the piece was not quite right for his collection so it came (and went) by me and it was very rewarding to get the opportunity to handle it. The form is quite strong with a slight lean forward to its posture due to the dramatic lobes and intense firing. The color of the liquid ash is rather elegant despite its definite bravado. Quite frankly, this vase has a wide array of effects creating a vivid landscape that is exceptionally well suited to the form; knowing how adept Furutani Michio was at both creating form and their strategic placement in the kiln, how could it have been otherwise.

A THEORY OF RELATIVITY

I recently was able to complete a trade for a pot that I had wanted for quite some time and was  exceptionally surprised to get the better end of the deal. Well, let me clarify that, to me, I got the better end of the deal, not necessarily so from the person I traded with who has exactly the same viewpoint regarding what they received. It is somewhat paradoxical that a piece that I so highly regard can be just another "ordinary" pot to another, I guess it is just relative to what you like and respond to for whatever reason. Offered here is a theory of relativity as it applies to "stuff", in the end, we both got exactly what we wanted and in a perfect world, that should always be the outcome. A very similar event happened recently on a Japanese website, a pot that I found incredible (and beyond our price range) was listed and I was sure by the next morning it would be sold, it was not, Morning after morning passed and it was still there, to us very frustrating and as irritating as anything else. It took quite a few months to sell and it just seemed to defy logic how anyone else who would encounter the pot didn't see it exactly as we did. I have long since concluded that perception and experience are as different from individual to individual as is our idiosyncratic genetic profiles.

I know I have touched on this subject before on my blog but simply put, there are times that I am just amazed at the great disparity in how people value things, to me a treasure and to someone else, just another "thing". It is not exactly "one man's treasure is another man's trash", but honestly there is no rational explanation for this phenomena and luckily so. If everyone wanted exactly the same "stuff" it would be very, very difficult and prohibitively expensive for most collectors to collect, I am certain that the needed diversity of interest is exactly what keeps the earth spinning around the sun, so much for Copernicus' theory.

Illustrated is a solitary and noble sunlit Iga vase by Furutani Michio. I had set the vase on a shelf while I was photographing another pot and nature did the rest of the work.

"This perception of division between the seer and the object that is seen, is situated in the mind. For those remaining in the heart, the seer becomes one with the sight."  Ramana Marharsi

HARMONIOUS

There is something somewhat engaging about a simple object without any affectations or contrivances that manages to exceed one's expectations. Crafted simplicity is an art that runs counter-intuitive in our fast paced world which may make such objects stand out all the more. The chawan illustrated is one of those objects, crafted and fired based on years of experience and ability yet simple in form, the aesthetics engages the viewer in a conversation about pot, potter and self. The act of creating is never a sure bet, but ever so often, everything comes together, like the exceptional harmonious notes of a seasoned orchestra. Furutani Michio had his fair share of exceptional pots, pots of simplicity and brilliance which marry clay, potter and fire; nourishment for the viewer. This Shigaraki chawan is a classic shape made by Furutani, rich surface, a fullness, a palpable tension to the form and just the right amount of kick adding lift off the kodai and with the cooperation of the kiln, a wet landscape painted on the face of the bowl. It may speak of simplicity but how many hours, pots and firings does it take to yield a bowl that is so minimalist with so much to say?

ROADSIDE HENKO

Illustrated is a slab and coil built Shigaraki henko by veteran potter, Furutani Churoku IV (b.1922). The vivid green glass and wadding scars together with the texture created when the piece was constructed create a wonderfully rich landscape and surface that brings the pot to life. The vertical form is a creative play on the slab henko most often associated with Furutani Michio, but these hand built forms pre-date both potters. Churoku IV, Furutanai Hiromu, is the fourth generation to work in Shigaraki and he was trained by his father and took the Churoku name in 1976. His works have been exhibited both regionally and across Japan as well as in England and Germany and he is best known for his traditional pursuit of tea ceramics, chadogu, as well as making tsubo based on old Shigaraki tea storage jars. Furutani Churoku is a must stop if you are in the Shigaraki vicinity where you can see a wide array of his pottery including his evocative hi-iro style pots which he is also well known for. Glistening like a lichen covered roadside Jizo stone statue after a rain storm, this henko makes me think of the highways which passed through Shigaraki Valley from a time long passed.

PAINTED WITH FIRE

This Shigaraki kinuta vase is by Furutani Michio whose construction of the pot, placement in the kiln and exceptional firing have created a lyrical pot that is literally "painted with fire". Like the sun rising over some distant mountain range, this mallet vase is all about landscape, literally a painting in three dimensions created by bare tsuchi-aji, natural ash and hi-iro. Furutani is arguably the best potter to use an anagama from both Iga and Shigaraki pottery during the 20th century. His works builds on a medieval tradition and it is his sensitivity to material and fire that has left a body of work that present such phenomenal blend of katachi and keshiki (form and landscape surface). Given the large number of these forms that Furutani has left, he must have had an affinity and comfort with making them with each one proving to be an exercise in form and foresight as to how and where they would be fired. These simple pots present a narrative that is weathered and understated and though created in the chaotic atmosphere of the anagama carry a tranquil and eloquent tone that will inspire for many generations to come.

THE JOURNEY IS THE REWARD

The Shigaraki and Iga works of Furutani Michio are among the most classic, yet subtly modern pots that I have seen. His ability to instill a timeless quality in his work, speaks to his understanding and insight in to what is the essence of old Shigaraki and Iga pottery. This is the journey that Furutani embarked on when he built his first anagama in Shigaraki valley back in the late 1960's, early 1970's. I often speak of dedication to a tradition, style and ideal, but when you survey the body of work left by Furutani Michio, it is obvious that as he worked, he worked with a keen appreciation for material and flame which over time, he became master of. Few wood fire potters of the 20th century have left such a distinct testament to a vision regarding the combining of the old and the new, his mark is measured in each and every pot he made and kiln he built and fired.

Illustrated is a weathered Iga styled lugged vase that has the spirit and appearance of antiquity. Cloaked in a fine sheen of green ash, the posture of the vase is simple with a few errant marks made to accentuate the vertical quality of the body and reign in the viewer at the neck and mouth with a fence influenced design. The lugs anchor the neck to the body and added a strength to the piece that speaks of body, shoulder, neck and mouth in a rather profound way. Looking at vases by Furutani, his pieces rarely looked fussed with, they are appropriate in design and scale and are stripped of any extraneous features, creating perennial vessels that help set a standard for modern Iga and Shigaraki pottery.

"Little do ye know own blessedness; for to travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the success is to labour."  Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

FOOTSTEPS

At first glance, this Iga chawan has the classically medieval  style of the late Furutani Michio, but upon closer examination, there are subtle differences. The form a bit different, a bit tighter in  the way the pot is thrown and the kodai is created, telling his own story. This chawan was made by Furutani Kazuya, son of Furutani Michio and quite the apt pupil. Relying on forms forged by his father and exceptional firing skills, this teabowl follows in the footsteps of his father's body of work, but it is quite clear, Kazuya has his own voice and chapter to write within the traditions of both Iga and Shigaraki pottery. In this case the idiom, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" has rarely been more apropos.

SEIJAKU

Seijaku is a term/word used in Japanese aesthetics that is part and parcel of the Wabi/Sabi philosophy. In its most fundamental sense, seijaku means "tranquility" or "serenity" and in terms of objects, it is about defining a moment outside of the everyday and being able to contemplate the now in its presence. The illustrated chaire is all about seijaku in my opinion, in viewing the pot, it is possible to escape the modern clutter and focus on the beauty and tranquility of the piece. At first glance the strong and rugged form has a common beauty to it with the ash running down its face mimicking some distant waterfall with the constricted neck/mouth completed with the pure white lid. Despite the almost rustic charm of the piece, there is a certain degree of grace and subtlety that mask the deep complexity of this Iga chaire. Accompanying the chaire are two unsophisticated but noble shifuku made by the potter's wife to go with the piece which is also double boxed. This wonderful Iga chaire was made by the late Shigaraki/Iga potter, Furutani Michio sometime in the mid 1990s. Though small in stature, there is nothing small about this pot and it speaks volumes about the mastery of clay and fire that Furutani Michio had achieved while creating a focal point for the study of Iga-yaki, far into the future.

"Look for knowledge not in books but in things themselves."  William Gilbert

SHIZENYU II

Looking into the interior of some wood fired pots, is like looking into one of the many wonders of the world, albeit, manmade and that is what makes it even more special. For many chawan, the interior becomes the receptacle for natural ash that is flying around the kiln and needs somewhere to land and the rear wall of the bowl acts as a trap in which the ash is caught, builds up and melts into varying hues and thicknesses of glass creating what is known as shizenyu. In this chawan, though most of the entire chawan is covered in glassy ash, the interior speaks about the build up on the walls and the inevitable running into the center of the pot creating a rich, deep olive green bidoro pool. Immediately adjacent to the pool is a slightly lighter region where liquid glaze dripped off the underside of the shelf about the teabowl creating a wonderful effect and adding to the buildup of glass in the mikomi. Be design, innate experience or serendipity, this Iga chawan by Furutani Michio heralds the richness and phenomenal firings that he was so well known for and is still held in great regard by potters and collectors around the world. There are few Shigaraki and Iga potters whose works show such a mastery of clay and flame as did Furutani Michio and this chawan is just another example of both.

FEUDAL VASE

Created using the coil and throw method, this prototypical  Shigaraki kinuta mallet vase was made by the legendary potter, Furutani Michio. There is something so elementally medieval about many of his pots and the well proportioned form speaks of a time and place outside of this instant. Blending exceptional clay and woods for his firings, Furutani Michio created works well beyond technique that speak to the viewer on a wide array of levels and connect us to the pot, the potter, a tradition and a way of making and living with pots, then and now. It may just be this intense connectivity that attracts me so strongly with his work along with the unending dialogue the pot maintains and the dedication and spirit of a feudal tradition that define his pottery both Shigaraki and Iga.

"If one really wishes to be a master of an art, technical knowledge is not enough. One has to transcend technique so that the art becomes an 'artless art' growing out of the Unconscious." D.T. Suzuki (1870-1966)

ANOTHER CLASSIC

Illustrated is another one of those pots, that is just "out of time", it is neither old nor modern. From my perspective, Furutani Michio, who made this classic Iga mizusashi, had a knack for making such pots, that defied a particular era and were just great at existing in the now. There is little else that I can say, except, what a classical beauty .