TRADEMARK

A while back I had the opportunity to study and photograph a nice, early Kohyama Yasuhisa Shigaraki mentori-hanaire which is a master class in faceting and surface. In taking quite a number of photos for my personal reference and for an impending slideshow video, the vase was put up on a shelf which is one of my favorite places to look at pots and in the late afternoon as the sun pours in, the pot though bathed in light begins to recess mysteriously almost disappearing as the sun goes down. This time of day let's me see details, lines, marks that may other wise go un-noticed reminding me of several old movies like McKENNA'S GOLD and THE VALLEY OF GWANGI where the characters wait on the sunlight to point the way to their treasure or goal. This particular photo shows off not only the form created through the faceting process but also high lights Kohyma's trademark pebbly surface created by a specific process nurtured through years of firing experimentation and adaptation which builds up ash through a skillfull use of stoking, temerature fluxuation and a unique baffle system at the rear of the kiln. The sun also brings out the range of colors on the vase ranging from greys, blues, corals, faint iron reds and even peach tones creating a pointilist style expression written across the planes, angles and curves of the form. Late afternoon is a great time to look at pots after a day of throwing, tooling or glazing making me look forward to tomorrow where the process starts all over again.

VERSES

Illustrated is a medium size V-bowl with a tall foot with triangular cut outs on opposite sides of the foot. Using wax, I painted out my abstrakt verses design around the interior and exterior of the bowl and once dried applied a very thin coat of black slip over the surface and once bisque glazed it in an amber glaze.  The verses design is basically a fluid rendition of mostly nonsensical elements which at one point were based on the print works of Haku Maki and both soshu and tensho style kanji; now they are more about movement and relationship as the move about the surface. Working like this is fun, because of the use of wax, you need to work fast and there is little room for error or it shows up quite readily. I should relate an interesting story, while Kohyama Yasuhisa was in Cleveland, my wife and I had him over to our house several times and on one trip, I had hanging a large kakejiku scroll on which I had painted two bold lines of calligraphy in the verses style. Kohyama-san walked up to it and with his finger started tracing the individual elements and admitted, he could read some of it but the others were just baffling, I explained what it was and he gave me a small smack on the back and one of his sly, understanding grins. Every time I paint out the verses patterns since, that moment where he was tracing the characters always springs to mind.

SET TO POUR

Illustrated is a diminutive Shigaraki sueki inspired tokkuri by Kohyama Yasuhisa. At first glance it seems a rather simple, useful bottle at the ready and set to pour with it leaning posture attesting to its eagerness to pour. The surface has a complex range of shades and textures all created through the process of making the pot, loading it in a kiln and throwing wood in to the kiln to reach a desired temperature but as you can guess there is so much more to it than that. These surfaces have been a lifetime in the making, trial and error and year after year of making pots and firing them and making records of results, nuances and changes in the pots themselves after all this is what wood firing is. The slight lean to the tokkuri as if made to first face into the ferocity and velocity of the firing and once fired its posture inviting the user to make use are communicated through this form. There are a great number of pots that hide their true nature in a cloak of simplicity and this Kohyama tokkuri is certainly one but as you take the time to really look at the piece its truest nature is revealed.

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.

シャープ

 

Though I regret not having had more time to study with and observe Kohyama Yasuhisa working, I am quite grateful to have had the opportunity to watch him prepare clay, wheel throw, coil build, slice earth, load his anagama and the firing process from beginning to end. Together with those experiences, I was also able to see him prepare and pack his pieces for his show at the Museum het Princessehof, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, create pots for his standard ware firing and partake of his excellent cooking! Truthfully this experience was amazing and was filled with a myriad of details that have colored how I work and who I am as a potter whether it appears so or not.

It is the details of Kohyama-sensei's process that are easy to overlook and pass by as one takes in the whole, but it is the sharp and critical aspects that help define his works from the pots of other potters from Shigaraki and elsewhere in both the making and the firing. Illustrated is a close-up shot of a tsubo-guchi of one of Kohyama Yasuhisa's mentori vases. The way that Kohyama facets leads the clay to be cut crisply and definitively in a rather quick sucession of motions that few others can mimic and are clearly the result of having pioneered this particular approach to faceting and dedicated a lifetime to its perfection. It is these fast cuts that define the pot, from the long and broad facets around the body of a piece to the more intimate and intricate faceting that defines the neck and mouth that once fired allows a build up of a wet, green ash to paint the angular surfaces without obscuring the defined sharpness of the details. Though ever so slightly softened by firing process and ash, the form remains as created by a master who would appear to be gazing in to a crystal ball seeing well into the finished work even while he is still adding coils to a pot that has just started its journey to completion.

1970

For the past three decades (!), I have taken every opportunity to acquire books on modern Japanese pottery which covers from about 1900 to the present. The vast majority of these books are in Japanese and quite a few are surveys that cover the history of the field up to the time they were written. For some reason, many of these surveys date from the 1970's and cover the traditional and cutting edge of modern pottery up until the time the manuscripts and photos had to go to the publishers and if I had to hazard a guess, 80% of these potters are unknown to most collectors today. A while back I was able to acquire a five volumes set that was published in 1970 and written by Kuroda Kusaomi, each volume covers about 50 potters and is illustrated though the majority of photos are in black and white. Each volume focuses on the major potters of the day and has a section for signatures and seals covering those introduced in each book. I love books like these that give a perspective of what the dynamics of the pottery scene was like in 1970 from those that were ultra-traditionalists, avant-garde and potters who were finding new ways out of strict traditions much like Tsukigata Nahiko who is covered in one of the volumes. I assume that the set of books and photos were probably done over the course of a year or so and despite the lack of color photographs it is obvious that 1970 was a very good year.

Illustrated is a totemic style, unglazed sculptural piece by a young potter only recently using a traditional Shigaraki anagama, most likely the first in the valley for a very long time; Kohyama Yasuhisa. To my eye, this piece gives a few hints as to where Kohyama was destined to go with his pursuit of coil-built objects as well as showing an aesthetic discipline determined to make the viewer take notice and walk away all the richer for the encounter.

James Taylor live performance from 1970; FIRE & RAIN

HANGING AROUND

I recently received a very nice Shigaraki hanging vase by veteran and master potter, Kohyama Yasuhisa. Though small in stature, the piece exudes a determined and timeless presence with textbook Kohyama markings made around the pot. About two thirds of the pot are covered with a wonderful pebbly texture with a variety of color variations running from charcoal grey to vivid fire color orange. This texture is a throw back to old Sueki ware and is a trademark surface created by exacting firing, wood type and a unique baffle system at the rear of the kiln that controls not only temperature but flow throughout the kiln. The serene fire color dominates the back of the vase and the surface is punctuated by melting burst of feldspar across the entire piece but most notable on the rear, resembling small set jewels amid the clay. This pot was made in the mid-1990s and is just another example of the diversity and beauty of Shigaraki in the hands of a potter who understands the tradition and possibilities of both the process and materials.

KOH-TSUBO II

I was thinking about the small Kohyama Yasuhisa Shigaraki ko-tsubo that I posted the other day and it got me thinking about my stay with him back in 1993. As I was thinking about my time at his studio and home, I had the feeling that somewhere there was a picture of sensei throwing a similar ko-tsubo and after digging through files, I found the picture in question. Though the ko-tsubo on the wheel is a bit larger at about 8" tall or so, the form and especially the neck/mouth are spot on to the one illustrated. One of the hallmarks of a good design is the ability to create that design in a variety of sizes and this is a skill that Kohyama excels at. Many of his pots vary from small to large though based on a "standard" form or design making for an immediately recognizable style that points directly to the maker; it is quite possible that Kohyama's early study of design with Sakuzo Hineno (1907-1984) has something to do with this, but I think it is also about the years of developing a style and direction that makes fullest use of the Sueki inspiration and his creative voice.

KOH-TSUBO

Illustrated is a rich, little Shigaraki ko-tsubo by pioneer and innovator, Kohyama Yasuhisa. For me, his work never fails to impress, whether older traditionally inspired teaware, shuki or cutting edge "object". This great, little pot at just 4" tall tells a nearly complete story of Kohyama's work; Sueki inspired form, anagama fired, lyrical posture, simply executed and cut decorative lines, rich hi-iro  and just the right amount of traditionally fired surface. Immediately recognizable as his work, Kohyama has spent his life dedicated to the infusion of ancient Sueki pottery with the energy and spirit of the present day. Each pot is a gift from the marriage of earth and fire which Kohyama Yasuhisa officiates over with a lifetime of experience and a very sharply defined aesthetic.

TSUBAKI

Illustrated is a simple, yet elegant yabu-tsubaki camellia japonica in a even simpler Shigaraki vase by Kohyama Yasuhisa. The lone opened camellia blossom is flanked by several other buds and leaves from a single stem now residing in a rustic and worn vase suspended on a cypress plank. The beauty of a simple object is many times best defined through use and in this case, it appears that this vase was created for this very moment in time.

NUMBER 3046

It seems simple enough, you take a bowl and a somewhat sharp pieces of bamboo or other wood and hand tool a teabowl, but in reality the process is actually one of muscle memory formulas and aesthetic choices honed through years of experience. I have been rather fortunate to have watched several dozen Japanese potters hand tool their chawan and though the fundamentals are about the same, the approach and results can differ drastically. Some potters are after creating crisp, clean kodai while others are looking for a casual and asymmetrical foot to compliment the overall form of the piece. Timing is another sometimes overlooked factor, some prefer the clay rather stiff and others cut the foot while the clay is still quite wet and the process is completed with the smoothing of rough areas with a hera, the fingers and the palms of the hand. Having tried to work this way, I can attest that it really is much more difficult than it looks and maybe after thousands of pieces, the process and the formulas make more sense and are easier to reproduce, maybe number 3046 will be the charm.

Illustrated is Kohyama Yasuhisa working on one of his Shigaraki chawan. The outside diameter of the kodai has been established and he is beginning to remove clay to form the interior of the footring. Though the body of the chawan is close to leather-hard, the foot is still soft and supple enough to cut and form with tool and hand. In the end, the foot is a practical one that suits the form of the bowl well and gives a good sense of lift to the pot; simple, effective and very well practiced.

A HISTORY REVEALED

 

I have always been interested in the history of the pots that I admire and study, that is to say, the historical context of how they came in to being, the creative spirit and the times that drives the potter. I am also fascinated by the history, the path the pot takes from its inception to the present day and with a number of pots, the provenance is well documented while other times, almost nothing is known about how it got to this moment in time. Over the years I have tried to play pottery detective and find out as much as I could about specific pots. From time to time, I would piece together provenance with catalogues that would arrive and shed some light on various aspects of the piece. Given the sheer number of pots an average potter creates, I am constantly surprised at the number of pieces that I have been able to identify through inclusion in both books and catalogues.

I guess I should get to the point and mention that about two months ago, I came in contact with a large and bold faceted vase by Shigaraki veteran, Kohyama Yasuhisa. As soon as I saw the piece, I had this sense that it was special and took the opportunity to email Kohyama-san to ask about the piece. A couple of days later, I received a response from Nakamoto Wakae, Kohyama's assistant detailing what sensei had remembered about the piece. He knew it was from the early 1970's but didn't have any additional info at that time. Now, two months later, I receive another email with a bit more information regarding the vase and a very important photo. The photo shows Kohyama-san and celebrated calligrapher, Toko Shinoda (b. 1913) who is this year celebrating her 100th birthday, in the back corner of the photo the large mentori-hanaire is shown. This picture is from the 1973 Tokyo Mitsukoshi exhibit in which a number famous figures attended his show; including Shinoda, Hamada Shoji and Kato Tokuro. Kohyama-san had, prior to this exhibit worked with Toko Shinoda in helping her produce a large architectural mural and in turn, she came to see his works from the first anagama built and fired in the Shigaraki Valley since the middle ages.

About the pot, at over 17" tall, the massive octagonal pot has a rather dramatic presence and commands its space with a distinctly positive authority. The rough and coarse surface is littered with feldspar bits melting out of the clay while the playful blend of fire color and various ash coatings articulate the pot and define the myriad of marks created during the faceting process. The mouth terminates in the trademark style of Kohyama-san and the lip is defined by a direct and spontaneous cut that since this pot was made, has been perfected over countless pieces. On the shoulder of the pot, there is a resisted shadow of clay color (botamochi), surrounded by ash from where a small round pot, a guinomi possibly, was fired to make best use of the limited space in the anagama kiln. I can not thank Kohyama-san enough for sending along the picture and information as it helps put the piece into context. I find it extremely satisfying to be able to reveal the history of some of these pieces but I am constantly aware that doing so has little to do with just dedicated footwork, is as often times absolute serendipity as it is anything else.

(Photo by Takeshi Fujimori courtesy of Kohyama Yasuhisa)

SUI GENERIS

Illustrated is a close up of a Shigaraki mentori-tsubo by Kohyama Yasuhisa. Beyond the fact that his work stands unique and apart from most other wood fired pots in Japan and abroad, there is a singular uniqueness in how Kohyama-san fires and builds up ash on his pieces. Having researched and experimented in how he fires and what woods he uses, he is able to build up ash creating a pebblely texture which at times is reminiscent of the nodes which make up rayskin, same-gawa. It is a vivid and evocative texture created quite naturally, through skilled firing and this texture adds dimension to his already unique works. The ash pebbles cling to the work, defining the surfaces only relinquishing their grasp on the crisp and hard edges created through faceting the hardy Shigaraki clay. Though the visual texture is quite wonderful, it also adds to the way light plays with the surface, not to mention how wonderfully tactile the pot is to run your hand, carefully over the pot. Few if any other potter creates pottery with such vivid and timeless texture that harkens ones thoughts back to the age of the ancient Sueki wares. It is a rare and complex texture that is worthy of what modern Shigaraki has to say in the 20th and 21st centuries.

SLICED EARTH

I received a package from Amazon yesterday and in it was the long overdue book; YASUHISA KOHYAMA; The Art Of Ceramics. I first heard they were going to publish this book from Wakae Nakamoto (Kohyama-san's assistant), nearly a year ago and have been waiting for it to go to the publishers. A few delays worried me that in this age of disappearing books, it may not be published, but my pre-order arrived and I am pleased to say, it is a very fine book with an exceptional array of photos and essays. The essays are by Susan Jeffries, Michael Cunningham, Yoshiaki Inui and Jack Lenor Larsen and through these, you get a perspective of the artist and individual who helped pioneer the age of the modern anagama in Shigaraki Valley. The illustrations show a nice selection of works from the 1980s to present and there are pictures of Kohyama-san with Hamada as well as working, loading and firing the kiln. I was rather surprised to see two photos taken while I was working at the Iori-gama in 1993 showing Kohyama-san stoking the anagama. For any one, potter, craftsman, artist or collector, I would recommend this book, not so much as a book about a Shigaraki potter, but about the work and life of an individual dedicated to an aesthetic and an ideal, over 50 years in the making.

"The essence of  Kohyama's work is a combination of physical aesthetics and the transfer of his energy, which gives each piece a unique life of its own."   Yoshiaki Inui

Illustrated on the book, KOHYAMA YASUHISA; The Art Of Ceramics is a wonderful Shigaraki mentori-object by Kohyama Yasuhisa. The object is cut with energetic slices and the surface is covered in a wet sheen of ash from the intense anagama firing. The shoulder of this sliced earth form is further accentuated by a thicker build up of ash that accidentally (?) accentuates the cut line of the body. There is a whole lot of energy is this great little pot.

ITS ALL IN THE PREPARATION

Illustrated is a previously fired mentori vessel by Kohyama Yasuhisa waiting for another cycle in the fire. For this kiln, way back in 1993, about 20% were pots to be refired, which is a common practice in Shigaraki and Iga and has been for centuries. The pots are ferried back and forth from studio and storage to staging tables, just outside of the enclosure housing his Iori-gama kiln, the precursor to loading. The tedious and exacting art of loading is carried out with skill and efficiency to maximize the finite space and to help insure a good firing. It's all in the preparation and the knowledge of the process, which determines the outcome, together with a pinch of luck. If you look past Kohyama's central pot, to the right, you can see a couple of my chawan getting ready to be loaded as well. Despite my current situation in regards to firing, there is little to compare to wood firing an anagama that I know of.

KOHYAMA ON IPTV

In keeping with the theme of Kohyama Yasuhisa, I have uploaded a video I took of Kohyama-san back in 1993 while I was at his studio in Asanomiya, Shigaraki-cho. It is a short video of him throwing a chawan for his upcoming anagama kiln firing, which I participated in. His attention to detail, particularly the lip is why he is well known in Japan and outside for his thrown and handbuilt vessels. At every level, Kohyama-san uses techniques dating back to ancient Shigaraki and Sueki wares instilled with his personal modern approach; the mark of a master potter.


"Working with clay, inspired by nature, I am free to allow creation to happen." Kohyama Yasuhisa

NATURAL BEGINNINGS

A while back, I posted up an early mizusashi by Shigaraki potter, Kohyama Yasuhisa. Along with Kohyama-san, rebirth of the anagama in Shigaraki Valley was in also due to the pioneering efforts of Furutani Michio. Illustrated is a very early Shigaraki mizusashi by Furutani Michio, though I am unsure when it was made, my best guess is sometime before 1975. There is a nice soft dusting of natural fly ash on the face and the rest of the pot is painted in various hues of hi-iro fire color. The work by both Furutani and Kohyama were a quantum leap forward from what had replaced the old medieval style of anagama firing in Shigaraki and Iga. Though wood fired, the previous pottery had an applied ash glaze on the pottery that was then wood fired. The works after the early 1970's were fired in anagama throughout the valley and the surfaces were all natural, shinzen-yu; the results of hard work, good long firings and the build up of natural ash circulating inside the kiln as a natural extension of the process. Though this pot was made at the beginning of Furutani Michio's career, it can be considered a milestone among 20th century Shigaraki/Iga pottery for being the product of a resurrected and all natural,medieval tradition.

WIND

Illustrated is another picture from our trip to see the collection of Alice and Halsey North.  This "object" made by veteran Shigaraki artist, Kohyama Yasuhisa is also the cover illustration for the catalogue of their collection by Joe Earle, entitled; CONTEMPORARY CLAY; JAPANESE CERAMICS FOR THE NEW CENTURY. Having had the opportunity to spend some time observing Kohyama work, it is fascinating to see the object take on mass as coil after coil are built up and the clay is studied for the point at which he will facet the clay. Like a skilled diamond cutter, he studies the form as it is being constructed and quickly and without  hesitation, he "cleaves" the form to leave the object as it was seen in his mind's eye.

This wonderful "object" is entitled, WIND (FUNE). In person, the sculptural pot is enlivened with a shimmering surface of thin green glass at the top of the form and fly ash overall. The monumental presence creates a sense of movement as if defiantly standing sentinel against the wind, the vessel is frozen in perpetual motion. Easily my favorite among the array of pieces in the North collection, the Kohyama soars between the established tradition and vanguard of modern yakishime pottery.

(Pictures taken and used with the kind permission of Alice and Halsey North)

AT THE BEGINNING

Illustrated is mizusashi made by Shigaraki pioneer, Kohyama Yasuhisa in 1973 (Showa 48). Every potter has a body of work that has a definite beginning, even ones who have gone beyond the strictest sense of function to work in the realm of "objects"*.  This particular subtly faceted mizusashi was made for a 1973 exhibit and is illustrated in the exhibition catalog. Having been the first potter to build an anagama in Shigaraki valley since the middle ages, Kohyama immediately began to focus in on Sueki style firing and showcasing the natural essence of the clay with colorful hi-iro effects. The form is thrown and manipulated to have a slight bend to the center and carved take on the ubiquitous bamboo form (take-gata) so popular in Japanese art.

Though made early on in his carrer, this pot shows many of the attributes Kohyama is so well known for. The pot allows the clay to speak with a flashed hi-iro and a dusting of ash on the rim and lid. The faceting, though very subtle, is a certain trademark of most of his works and the ability to create a form devoid of all but the essential elements is a feature that makes his works stand out from the crowd and invariable weather the storms of trend and time.

(* Objects are how Kohyama-san refers to his more sculptural works, from small to large)

IPTV; KOHYAMA & MENTORI

Here is a rather short, but interesting video of Kohyama Yasuhisa faceting (mentori) one of his “wind“ (kaze) objects in his Iori-gama studio near Shigaraki. As you can see, he is rather well versed at doing this, his cuts are intuitive and direct. The outcome is wonderful and creates a great keshiki after they are fired.

(This video is not of the highest quality as it was converted from VHS video to a digital video file by me. It was originally taken in the spring of 1993 while I was working with Kohyama-sensei.)