いつ?

Looking like it was painted and made during the time of the great Rimpa painters, Ogata Korin and Kenzan or Sakai Hoitsu and Suzuki Kiitsu, this thoroughly modern molded piece was made by Ningen Kokuho, Arakawa Toyozo. Having the feel and appearance of some old Kyo-yaki this pot was painted with little more than white and black pigment on a blushed earth toned clay and then covered over in a thin and highly effective clear glaze to create an object that is truly timeless and certainly difficult to pinpoint or attribute to an particular artist/potter. Arakawa suceeded at making the various styles that he worked in to his own identifiable vocabulary and is well known for his underglazed and overglazed pots that add to his body of Shino, Seto-guro, Ki-seto and Kohiki wares. I am never disappointed by what Arakawa's pots have to say and each and every one has a story, a narrative about form, surface, purpose and aesthetics that go to the very core of pottery making and using and place his pottery among some of the finest ever made.

"Of the time, but timeless" Eero Saarinen

琳派

As I look at this noble and elegant platter, I can not help but think of some of the later Rimpa masters of the Edo period. The imagery conjures up thoughts of Sakai Hoitsu and his pupil Suzuki Kiitsu as well as the late master of the style, Kamisaka Sekka (1866-1942), all pursued the refinement of design with elements of stylization of which the sparse decoration on this plate so eloquently reflects. Wakao Toshisada is a master of this style, his Rimpa-esque pottery adds to the legacy of this tradition while as potter, painter and designer, his works show a truly inspired understanding of using two dimensional design to articulate a three dimensional form. The grand sweep of the iron running from upper to lower corner brings life to the piece while the use of two lone iris and leaves suggests a lush and contemplative Heian garden. Wakao understands the power of suggestion and it is seen in most of his works allowing the viewer to be moved, transported to differing times and places; this is the lure of his work which fits well in to the legacy that is Rimpa.

白円相

I am quite a fan of the Rimpa influenced Shino works of the Mino master, Wakao Toshisada, but I have to say there is something rather elemental and subtle, even serene in his more traditional works like the illustrated chawan. Having a strong Momoyama influence, this gently tapering Nezumi-Shino chawan has a magnificent shiro-enso (white circle) on the face which dominates the omote and gathers the viewer in to the bowl. The textured surface has small "cells" of glaze which lets iron peek through, painting a soft landscape on which the purity of the white clay shows through to dominate the ceramic canvas. Wakao has made tremendous use of the negative space on the surface which is subtly articulated by glaze texture and form, acting as a vehicle for the central device of the pot much like a great scroll painting though in three dimensions as only a master potter could achieve. The sheer simplicity of the decoration creates a chawan of exceptional clarity and the strength of form brings to mind a bowl that great chajin would have gladly competed for during a time long ago forgotten.

SPRING AHEAD

What is more fitting for the first day of Spring than to spring ahead and think of fall. Illustrated is a elementally Rimpa style chawan by Wakao Toshisada with falling leaves drifting about the surface of the bowl. Using his Nezumi-Shino as the basis for the chawan, silver, iron red and white leaves decorate the bowl and move about the surface that bring us to reminisce about Fall which as we know comes fast enough. A single leaf can be seen peering over the lip of the chawan as Wakao makes full use of his ceramic canvas in a simple and minimal manner. Using flora, fauna and other natural device, each and ever Rimpa style bowl that Wakao Toshisada makes conjures up memories and endless possibilities to come.

"The past like the future, is indefinite and exists only as a spectrum of possibilities."   Stephen Hawking

A SIGNATURE POT

I have written about Mizuno Takuzo in several previous posts, his work is both visually engaging and functional in its execution, he has a precise sense of appropriateness in relationship to chadogu and its design. This wonderful Oni-Shino chaire is a classic example of his work and the possibilities that he sees within the tradition and the stereotyped vessels used for tea ceremony. The Momoyama influenced piece has an evocative, almost Rimpa style decoration in rich iron slip that once covered in several varying layers of Shino glaze creates a variety of atmospheres that conjure up thoughts of both misty moors and a myriad of tales of ancient Japan. What never disappoints about the work of Mizuno is the unique quality of his glaze with its thick, translucent nature and the fine cells and crawling that appear like a signature of an individual potter, there is a calming nature to his surfaces even when they present rich, complex and even turbulent visions.

You can see more of this chaire by following the provided link to my Trocadero marketplace;

http://www.trocadero.com/albedo3studio/items/1262488/item1262488store.html

INK CHAWAN

Illustrated is a poetic ink and wash rendition of a Rimpa influenced Shino chawan by Mino veteran, Wakao Toshisada. The simplicity of the form, outlined in ink with no superfluous details, houses the ink and wash flower that decorates the chawan. Knowing the work of Wakao, the image conjures to mind how the chawan would look in clay and three dimensions. Though there is little detail, bare bones if you will, everything needed to know this chawan is rendered in a few moments of lyrical brushwork.

IPOMOEA NIL

Illustrated is a very Rimpa influenced scroll painting and a pottery platter (hachi) by noted potter Wakao Toshisada (b.1933). Born and working in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture, Toshisada is one of the truly gifted Mino tradition potters and is exceptionally well known for his Rimpa inspired Shino pottery, a style that goes back to the days of Honami Ko’etsu (1558-1637, Tawaraya Sotatsu (d. 1643?), Ogata Kenzan (1163-1743) and his brother Korin (1658-1716). The water color scroll of a Japanese morning glory (ipomoea nil) is reminiscent of paintings by Sakai Hoitsu (1761-1828) and his student Suzuki Kiitsu (1766-1858) who is particularly well known for his rendition of morning glories. Though it evokes comparisons to older paintings, anyone familiar with his work can see his hand in the portrayal and in the way the image fills the frame of the scroll as if he was thinking of it as a tray or platter.

This illustration of a ceramic hachi by Wakao shows how closely his paintings and pottery go hand in hand. This vivid Rimpa tray is glazed primarily in Nezumi-Shino with areas of iron slip showing through the glaze and painted gold accents to bring the design to life. It is truly wonderful to be able to see the scroll and pot side by side and get a glimpse into a potter’s creative process. Toshisada’s works are an exceptional addition to the Mino tradition and help usher the Rimpa pottery tradition well into the 21st century.

BANURA SHIRO FOLIAGE MIZUSASHI

I came across this photo the other day and immediately knew it was a pot by Banura Shiro. This mizusashi is tall and has a graceful form that plays host to his Rimpa inspired decoration of iron, overglaze gold and silver foliage accentuating the vertical quality of the piece which is punctuated by a spire like finial knob on the lid.

I am always impressed with the wide array of forms Banura is known for and how adeptly he tailors his designs to a wide variety of work, from jar to hachi to chawan. There are a number of potters whose works are (or were) inspired by the Rimpa school, but I think Banura Shiro has added a modern edge to an age old tradition made famous by Ogata Korin (1657-1716) and his brother, the potter, Ogata Kenzan (1663-1743).

Banura Shiro Deuxieme Partie

The “fall bowl” post got me thinking more about Banura Shiro and I remembered a picture of a set I had handled and photographed. The set is a Hagi gohonde style serving bowl and set of mokozuke, all decorated en suite in varying tones of iron on slip and under an ash glaze. The surface is rich with spotting caused by the slip under the glaze and activates the form even more. The potting on these bowls is wonderful and one can easily image using them. Having seen and handled a number of his works, I am always amazed at how deceptively simple and honest his pots are.

Banura Shiro was from Iga prefecture and studied with Kawamura Kitaro before setting up his own studio. He had his first major exhibit at Nihonbashi Takashimiya in 1972. Exceptionally proficient at glazes and firing he worked with a wide variety of clays, glazes, underglazes and overglaze techniques and was very fond of “old style” under and over glaze brushwork and designs.

Perhaps his best known and most famous works are the collaborative pots and platters he made and his brother-in-law, Matazo Kayama decorated using techniques and technology developed by Banura. Kayama made majestic and sweeping designs heavily influenced by the Nihon-ga tradition he came from. A masterpiece can be seen in the Madame Kikuchi collection catalogue; JAPANESE CERAMICS TODAY. It is a large platter, over 51cm and depicts a mikazaki crescent moon over breaking waves.

Besides adding to the Rimpa tradition, Banura had several noteworthy apprentices, including Yasuda Michio (b. 1949) who carries on the pottery Rimpa style and Yoshitaka Hasu (b. 1949) who specializes in unique Iga anagama fired pottery with iron glaze additions.

(Used with the permission of a private collector)