F.C.E.

I'll be perfectly honest and say that I really don't know a lot about the potter who made this sweet Ki-Seto guinomi but when I first saw it, the reaction was visceral. Made by Iwatsuki Takemitsu (b.1949) this guinomi is part of a body of work mostly influenced by Momoyama pottery with a specialty in Ki-seto where he has spent 30 years experimenting with the right combination of clay, ash and firing techniques to try to reproduce a surface that he has set in his mind's eye. As for this guinomi it has that wonderful quality of at first appearing like a miniature chawan, the great posture and form are complimented by the sparse use of Ki-Seto glaze over incised decoration with copper accents. Even in this static photo, the pot is in motion with the variety of alterations to the thrown form aiding in this production from undulating lip, pinched and altered body and the accentuated lines around the waist and at the base create this perpetual motion. Though this guinomi is not made by one of the great Ki-Seto masters  if Iwatsuki was after capturing the character, playfulness and spirit of the Momoyama antecedents, he has done a pretty good job, definitely a first class effort.

DAI-KANNYU

Looking a bit like a scarred landscape from some distance above, the wonderful dai-kannyu effect (big cracks) on this Hagi guinomi read like an ancient treasure map of some far off locale. Added to the deep, textural fissures, the variety of colors play across the surface creating a rather complex and different landscape with every turn of this diminutive little pot. Though small in stature, this guinomi has all the power and character of larger pieces by Hagi master, Yamato Yasuo, the purpose and determination of the form and posture create a pot that welcomes use whether it is for sake or even M&Ms. This rich surface is a wonderful blend of both tactile and visual stimulation which can include the taste buds under just the right circumstances.

"Pleasure is a pillar to lean on,
sake in front of me,
comfortable company and the sound of mortar and pestle."  Hakuin

A NEAR PERFECT CHAWAN

Okay to be perfectly honest I need to qualify the title of this post, A NEAR PERFECT CHAWAN, what I really am saying is that this is nearly perfect in relation to what I really enjoy from a chawan, it is personal taste based on what I can get from this type of pot. I think I need to make another disclaimer, this is not a chawan, it is a guinomi but as I have looked at it and studied it, rolled it around in my hands and felt the texture of the surface and clay it is rather apparent to me that this is a guinomi that is actually a more like a miniature chawan. The form, lip, interior and kodai are exactly what I would want from a chawan by the potter, Haneishi Shuji (b.1962) or anyone else for that matter but instead of it being 13cm across it measures in at just about 7.5. As you can see in the photo, the form is casual and has a looseness to it having a sense of motion with a soft, undulating lip and a wet surface composed of a layer of ash with areas of running brown green bidoro and imprints from the shells on which it was fired. I have to admit that this haikaburi Kasama-yaki guinomi isn't exactly a perfect chawan but it certainly makes for a great gem of a guinomi that just begs to be taken for a thorough test drive.

( I should also mention that this is not my first encounter with the works of Haneishi Shuji, I have seen quite a few and handled perhaps a dozen. The last encounter was with a kinuta-hanaire that was very simple in form and had a subtle surface covered in a pale green natural glass coating. I am trying to get to handle it again so that I can take a group of photos to make a slideshow video of the vase and in turn I will make a short video slideshow of this guinomi in the future.)

HOW SWEET IT IS

This particular guinomi is one of those small gems that make it easy to understand not only the love of saké but of guinomi, salt firing, wood firing and the work of Ningen Kokuho, Shimaoka Tatsuzo. Though diminutive in scale, the is nothing small in the execution, design and firing of this guinomi having all of the bells and whistles a viewer or collector would want from the potter. From form, purposeful and well cut foot, impressed rope decoration and a mixed, misty infusion of cobalt from the salt and ash from the wood firing, everything comes together to paint a portrait of a perfect Shimaoka piece. All that is left is to get out a truly wonderful bottle of bourbon (or saké) and revel in "how sweet it is".

RAPHANUS SATIVUS II

Over the years I have seen a number of wonderful Ki-Seto pots with various decoration of which the simple incised and accented radish design has always sparked my imagination. Considering I don't have a decent dry style Ki-Seto glaze I decided to make due and blend the design with the Oribe tradition to create moderate using pieces including this large sake cup. While still wet the mouth of the cup was lobed to compliment the natural theme of the piece and then the Momoyama influenced design was incised into the bottom of the cup. I used my rich lepidolite based Oribe glaze for the piece and I think that for the first and only of the production run, the results are not to bad. At nearly five inches across it will certainly make most aficionados pleased with the volume within and the design cloaked in the clarity of their favorite sake.

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.

TANI-SAN IV

Perhaps just on the large size this classic Shigaraki guinomi is by the veteran potter; Tani Seiuemon. simple in execution the tapering form fits the hand well and best yet, it has a gracious interior to fill. The face of the guinomi is blanketed in an even coat of glass which tapers off and gives way to rich hi-iro across the rear with a thin coat of ash around the mouth at the rear asking the user to take a closer look at the interior. Tani-san, best known for his simple wan-gata chawan and numerous uzuku-maru forms was a traditional potter and was even conservative in his approach to making and firing but his pots possess a comforting and welcoming atmosphere the calls out. Not every potter is driven to change or challenge a tradition but how many can make pots day in and day out over a lifetime that bring a bit of happiness and joy in the using?

THE RIGHT SIZED CUP

I made a few sets of tokkuri and guinomi and after making them realized that the cups were all rather small in comparison to the tokkuri. taking my cue from nearly every ZATOICHI episode and a myriad of other chambara flicks, I decided to make a couple of sets with a bottle and a larger cup, to some I suspect, the right sized cup. Illustrated is a stoneware set of tokkuri/guinomi with hakeme slip under my saffron and a clear glaze. The bottle will fill the cup exactly two times and when you are imbibing five ounces of alcohol at a time, two may be just enough.

LOCATION

Illustrated is a rather simple, even straight forward guinomi by veteran Iga potter; Kojima Kenji. The piece was thrown with a slight amount of rhythm layered into the surface, a practical foot and the rest was done by knowing where and how to fire the pot, after all, location is king. It may sound simplistic and obvious but each and every pot fired in yakishime style has to have its location and form well thought out prior to and during the loading process. Any well made piece can be fired willy-nilly, but the best show that their placement was thought out as to wrestle the absolute best from both pot and firing. I have seen quite a number of pots by Kojima Kenji and for the majority of his work, it is obvious that each piece, no matter how seemingly insignificance, receives the attention it deserves to be the best it can be and this simple guinomi is no exception. As I reflect on the wood fire potters that I most admire, it is perhaps this quality that is a common denominator that sets apart those who truly understand their kiln and firing and it shows on nearly every pot that they fire.

ALL BUSINESS

Rustic and hearty with a compelling stance, this well fired Shigaraki guinomi is a visual delight with its undulating lip reminiscent of a far off landscape. The broad foot matches well with the wide open volume of the guinomi, generous in both size and capacity and all business concerning its one purpose. This well fired little gem is by Kon Chiharu who excelled at a style of firing that is synonymous with his master, Tsuji Seimei. Firing in the Shigaraki style and using Shigaraki kiln and clay, Kon is creating works that are infused with the medieval tradition, a modern eloquence and maybe just a small amount of Niigata, where he lives and works. However you wish to define this wood fired guinomi, the definition is not complete without the word, resolute.

INAUGURAL

Almost three years ago, I wrote about being a somewhat accidental collector of guinomi. In the accompanying picture there is a group of guinomi, in the center back of the picture is a rather pivotal piece in that it was the first Tsukigata Nahiko piece that I had acquired. I had first become aware of the work of Tsukigata back in the very early 1980's and through the use of inter-library loan, I was able to secure a copy of the book Oni-Shino for an extended stay of four weeks, so my interest in his pottery is hardly a passing fancy, in fact, his work is among the most electrifying and interesting I have encountered. Flash forward nearly two decades and thanks to a large internet auction site, I happened to find this large Shigaraki style guinomi by Tsukigata Nahiko. No box nor identification in the auction, just all of the tell tale characteristics of the potter and for less than $20, it was the inaugural Tsukigata addition to the collection that was never intended and just keeps on growing.

Thrown out of Shigaraki clay and woodfired in his anagama the body of the piece was first dipped in an ash glaze which is like a coating of rich bidoro with a wonderful pool of green in the bottom of the guinomi. The foot is flashed with a rich coat of color from where the flames liked the bulky pedestal creating a great, wet contrast to the body. Inside the foot ring is Tsukigata's signature, boldly carved and in all my years of studying his work, I have never seen a similar piece in terms of surface though I am aware he has made Shigaraki pottery along with his best known styles. Having used this guinomi on occasion, I can tell you it is both generous in its contents and satisfying in its function.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year to everyone in every time zone and country. I hope the coming year is a joyous and prosperous year across the board and remember to make easy to fulfill New Year's resolutions and if you are going to drink, drink responsibly. Kampai, akemashite omedetou!

Illustrated is a very nice Iga tokkuri by Kojima Kenji accompanied by two seiji guinomi, the smaller guinomi by Wakao Kei (b.1967) and the larger is by Uraguchi Masayuki (b. 1964).

GUINOMI

Though I like guinomi, I have never really gone out of my way to collect them. I realize there are a lot of people who collect shuki (sake articles) or guinomi exclusively looking at drinking sake in a nearly ritualistic manner just like chanoyu. My wife and I have instead, tended to collect chadogu, preferring the larger objects that hold greater volume and visual presence.

That being said, recently I was looking around on the shelves and nooks and crannies of storage areas and had to conclude, we do collect guinomi, there are dozens of them. Over the years, popping into antique stores, flea markets, treks to Japan and now with the electronic age firmly planted, internet auction sites, we have put together a serendipitous collection of guinomi.

Some are occasionally used, others out and about as gem like accents, but all possess the qualities of chawan that we are so fond of. Despite their size, a potter has to work just as hard to create a good form, interior, foot and surface as he would on a larger teabowl and counter intuitively, mistakes on a guinomi seem far more exaggerated than on their larger kin.

We have been able to find pieces from a wide array of styles and artists, from Bizen to Shigaraki, Hagi, Karatsu, Mashiko and many more. In truth they certainly store easily enough and their use, can be down right intoxicating

BIDORO (1)

Bidoro is among my favorite types of green. Bidoro comes from the Portuguese word vitoro for glass that first appeared in Japan in the late 16th century. The areas of bidoro in Iga and Shigaraki wares sometimes forms large droplets of green glass known as “dragonfly eyes”, tombo(no)me.

This is an excellent example of the bidoro that is highly prized. This guinomi is by Iga potter, Kojima Kenji (b.1953) who is carrying on the demanding art of traditional Iga-yaki. Kojima-san has exhibited widely throughout Japan and his works quickly sell out at shows and exhibitions. I have been looking at his work for well over a decade and the true appeal of his pottery is his combination of traditional Iga pottery with the “now” of contemporary art. Kojima-san’s pieces are his own unique blend of old and new and his thoughtful attention to detail even on guinomi is wonderful. His mastery of his material and kiln are evident in his work.

The way the foot is cut, the guinomi appears to hover and begs to be used. It feels great in the hand and in it’s use. The solitary bidoro tombo(no)me just hangs off the form, frozen in time and defying gravity and logic. All in all a fine pot by a potter who adds to his art and is well worth looking for.