GLASSY GEM

Illustrated is a classic and rather wonderful chaire by Raku and Iga potter, Konishi Heinai.  As with many of these photos, this is not a photo I took or a pot that I handled but I certainly thought it worth sharing as a stellar example of Konishi's work which at first glance almost appears like it was dipped in a glass tank and coated in a beautiful coating of rich bidoro. The form is strong and medieval in appearance with a simple, even subtle design rendered around the pot which is further accentuated by the all natural ash that has covered this chaire. I have seen and handled a number of pots by Konishi Heinai over the years and can say without hesitation this may rank as the finest and my favorite chaire by him that I have seen; the surface is electric and shimmery like a coveted glassy gem which in all likelihood would be hard to play second fiddle to the chawan in use during the tea ceremony. Though this could be considered ever so slightly old school, I believe that pots like this will keep traditions like Iga on the straight and narrow and serve as an archetype into the future in the same way medieval pots served this function for potters like Konishi Heinai in the recent century past.

TANPAN

Arguably one of the finest Ki-Seto potters of the 20th century, Kagami Shukai (1941-2009) created this little gem of a chaire in his thoughful and classical style. This simple form with natural throwing marks and taunt shoulder is covered in Kagami's unique Ki-Seto glaze with tanpan (tanban, tampan), copper splashes on the on the face and back  and a slight amount of koge, scorching around the bottom third of the piece making this an ideal and crucial part of the tea ceremony. Though seemingly simple in its creation, this chaire is the pinnacle of the art and the result of years of practice and in depth research not only honing his craft but also understanding the historical glaze and forms he pursued; in fact his research into Mino pottery extended to archeological digs and kiln and shard excavations to further his knowledge of the history, clay, glazes and manufacture of Shino, Oribe, Seto-Guro and Ki-Seto in the region. There is little else I can actually say about this wonderful little pot other than stating the obvious, big things do come in small packages and in this case it also packs a tremendous punch on nearly every level.

WALKING ON EGGSHELLS

As I have mentioned before, over the years I have come to think of Kimura Ichiro and his work as quintessential Mashiko-yaki from it simple execution, design and glazing to its folksy, utilitarian practicality even when it comes for articles intended for tea ceremony. The posted illustration comes from an old catalogue of Kimura's work and illustrates the honesty and range of his pottery and even though this pot is intended as a mizusashi, it is easy to picture it in an multiplicity of uses from rice storage to holding your cat (or dog) treats. I am impressed by the simplicity of the form made all the more interesting by the crackle glaze that reminds me of eggshell impressed lacquer decoration that has been around for centuries. The surface on these pots is enjoyably tactile with recesses creating fissures which in turn create the wonderful visual landscape of the pot. After you study this pot for a while it is easy to see the influences of his master, Hamada Shoji from the effortless practicality and simplicity of the form to the easy to use classic style knob set a top the recessed lid. The raised bands around the form and mouth of the pot look very much like they are holding the pot together and keeping the volume of the interior from expanding any further; with all of these visual and tactile cues I think there is little else that could have been done to make such a simple mizusashi so thoughtfully interesting.

THE RIGHT BLEND

Looking a bit more like a medieval storage than a modern mizusashi this pot owes its creation to a adherence to tradition and an eye to the future. Made by Osako Mikio this Tokoname mizusashi finds its roots in Kamakura to Edo era storage jars while uniquely blending the old with the modern approach that was first espoused by Ezaki Issei and carried on by two of his students; Osako Mikio and Takeuchi Kimiaki. This mizusashi has a rather feudal form and simple lid with a surface of rich textured running ash which has created a pot that has an exceptionally utilitarian feel balanced with the complexities of the Chanoyu for which it was both intended and well suited. Synthesizing the formal and the everyday, Osako Mikio created pots that are conversant in both their purpose and the casual nature they reflect. Finding its origins in the old, this modern pot is a classic addition to the Tokoname tradition and a unique vision that clearly points to a dedicated potter.

"Every pot has its lid."  Old Proverb

誰にでも適当な似合いの人がいる 

CARVED CADDY

Over the years I have seen a number of these carved, three piece tea caddies, both simply executed and carved to varying degrees. They seem rather prevalent during the Meiji Period and continue to be carved to this very day. Of all the ones I have seen, this one strikes me as a bit unique being heavily carved over most of the form with deep relief flowers with virtually no damage despite the fragile nature of some of the carving. Carved out of a single piece of wood, the caddy is wrapped, seductively, in flowers and leaves that bring the eye entirely around the form and give a rather pleasant feel when held in the hand. I am not sure as to the utility of these particular tea caddies in formal chanoyu, but as an experiment a while back, I placed loose tea inside and put it up on a shelf for nearly two months and the tea that emerged were still fresh and perfectly usable. The combination of beauty and utility makes the piece that much more special and a wonderful object to enjoy on a shelf or on the table ready for tea.

UTILITAS

As a potter, there is little more satisfying than knowing your pots are being used. Coming from a mostly functional background of three Leach students, my work is about use and accomodation. As I sketch out and throw or build new pots, my foremost thought is about the function and that they perform without any real problems. That means handles, knobs, lids and feet all make for a pot that is meant to be used and its purpose is fulfilled when it is being enjoyed for a variety of tasks.

Going all the way back to the beginning, I have always been captivated by various tea utensils and as such have made chawan, mizusashi, full tea sets and various other components. Though I have exceedingly little experience with chanoyu, I have done what I could to understand the function of each piece and have added my own nuances. Over time, I have had a lot of feedback from tea people (chajin) as to how pieces have preformed with subtle suggestions and input as to how to make varying objects. There are a number of my pieces that are being or have been used for chanoyu and kaiseki by the Urasenke and Omotesenke schools of tea ceremony. Seeing my pots in this setting being used, is about the greatest feeling I can imagine as a potter.

Illustrated is a close-up of the chaki of Urasenke tradition practioner, Todd Frey of York, PA. The mizusashi and matching shakutate are by me and are porcelain neriage with my Ao glaze. They are part of a set that includes a chawan, mizusashi, kensui, shakutate and futaoki. Todd has a wonderful authentic “tea house” in York and gives chanoyu demonstrations. You can learn more about him at;

http://www.gessha.com/

(Photo graciously provided by Todd Frey)

UNDERSTATEMENT

“The art of tea Way consists simply of boiling water, preparing tea and drinking it.” Sen (No) Rikyu (1522-1591)

It may sound rather niave, but I have long been fascinated with Rikyu’s assessment of the tea ceremony. Not since Julius Ceaser’s commentary, “Vini, Vidi, Vici” has a statement been so simple and to the point though in the case of Rikyu, the actual accomplishment of tea is anything but simplicity. With all of the formality, aesthetics and the grace and posture involved in chanoyu, the art is the absolute definition of the “complexity of simplicity”. In the end, like a great chawan, the art is to make it look simple and uncontrived. It is this simple “Way” as Rikyu puts it,that can take a lifetime.

NEW FORM FOR A NEW YEAR

A while back I was asked to make a mizusashi for a New Year’s Tea Ceremony. The tea practitioner that was commissioning the piece had several very specific parameters that I had to work within. Size, form, glazes were the strictest requirements, together with the fact that the piece was to have a formal attitude and needed to “go with” the rest of his tea pieces (chadogu).

I made a number of sketches of things I thought would work within his requirements, some based on older designs, some that were evolving newer ideas and some I had never worked with before. He chose a form based on works I am currently working with and with some modifications, he approved the idea. I moved on to the prototype next, seen in the photos. It is loosely based on my interpretation of a Kawai Kanjiro façade to one of his henko forms. The glazing on the prototype was to be simple to show the form off to its best. The gallery was glazed as the mizusashi was to have a ceramic lid and a lacquer lid. I made this prototype with two different ceramic lids.

After the piece was fired, I showed it to the collector and he really liked the piece. I threw another, it was later glazed as he requested and fired in my last glaze fire. It came out exactly as he wanted and we narrowly got a lacquer lid back from Japan in time. It will be used for his first tea ceremony of 2011 and I was very happy to assist in the project and look forward to some pictures.

Illustrated is the prototype mizusashi with recessed lid and glazed in my medieval green and temmoku glazes. The chawan is a severely paddled haiyu glazed piece similar to the one he will be using. The second picture shows how recessed the lid is.