SOUNDS SIMPLE ENOUGH ON PAPER

Stop me if you have heard this one before, a bellied cylinder is thrown out of porcelain, over a foot tall, then is carefully manipulated creating intersecting plains which are all covered over in a thin coat of white slip and combed to accentuate each surface, well it sounds simple enough on paper. Having had the opportunity to study this piece it is painfully obvious that the potter, Kakutani Hideaki (b.1945) is quite skilled at altering and moving porcelain as each intersecting plain is defined from the interior and I suspect from the exterior prior to having the slip applied. This all making for a rather intriguing vessel with a wonderful array of textures and a beautiful soft blue seihakuji landscape all stemming from an uncomplicated cylinder. Kakutani Hideaki, whose father was Ningen Kokuho for his iron tea kettles, Kakutani Ikkei (Tatsujiro) went on to  study with Kondo Yuzo and Kiyomizu Rokubei VI before setting up his own studio in 1975 and was awarded the Cultural Merit Award from Mie Prefecture for his dedication and preservation of his art form. Born into a household where craft was highly valued and its place in life well understood, Kakutani's work speak of a desire to create functional objects while being ever considerate of the beauty and atmosphere that craft presents to viewer and user alike.

"Strong reasons make strong actions." Wm. Shakespeare (King John)

RANGE IN MOTION

A while back I wrote a blog post entitled; GONE YESTERDAY, HERE TODAY, which chronicled (!) the sheer coincidence in making two posts about two very different pots and in a rather short period of time we were able to collect one exceptionally similar pot and in the other case, the exact pot we wrote about. I put together this short video slideshow to try to give a fuller depth and dimension to the piece because in hand it is just wonderful. The glaze surface is cool and smooth while the heavily crazed surface adds a sense of intensity, warmth and conflict to the bowl while the iron and underglaze red flower adds the tranquil element which both ties in the opposing elements and draws the eye in to the rather harmonious whole. Enjoy the slideshow and thoughts and comments are always welcome.

完璧

I'll start out by saying this is obviously not my photo, having found it somewhere on the web some time ago. I stumbled upon it this morning and was just awe-struck by the absolute serene beauty of this tiny pot. Created by celadon expert, Kawase Shinobu, this chaire is about as wonderful a seiji piece that I have ever seen, the glaze, fluting, detailing and lid all work in conjunction with one another to come up with a quiet and resonant perfection (完璧 ). It will sound repititious and cliche to remind one's self that celadon creation is a pursuit of the determined, persistant and patient with a large percentage of work finding its way to the shard piles but despite the odds, Kawase manages to continue to captivate and humble the viewer decade after decade. I have seen a lot of seiji, seihakuji and the various color and textural variations of celadon but very few have the ability to create works that are as celadon to the core as does Kawase Shinobu and this little gem is a perfect example.

"One that desires to excel should endeavor in those things that are in themselves most excellent."  Epictetus

 

 

 

TWO FOR THE ROAD

On Saturday a package arrived from a retired collector who wanted me to sell two pots for him. The first pot is a wonderful if slightly bruised published koro by Kishimoto Kennin (which was illustrated on my blog previously) and a totemic exhibition piece by Iga renaissance man, Ohira Kazumasa. The Ohira vase is large at over 15" tall and has a great surface and landscaped feel to the form with incised and added ginirodori decoration that flashes from copper to silvery gold hues. Ohira Kazumasa is a man of many talents. Garden designer, sculptor,  mural designer and potter, the Iga native is concerned with the best way to use his materials as well as being highly considerate of how his work impacts an environment in which it is placed. His works have been exhibited widely through gallery and museum shows and his works published in Japan and abroad including in volume 51 of the 100 volume set; TOH. Though the koro and vase are very different for each other, they share a common thread in that both were singled out by the potters for exhibition and as such, both presents the best work of not only the artist but the styles that each represents

You can see more photos of the Ohira and Kennin at my Trocadero marketplace or specifically by following these links;

http://www.trocadero.com/stores/albedo3studio/items/1289194/item1289194store.html

http://www.trocadero.com/stores/albedo3studio/items/1289193/item1289193store.html

IN USE

I recently had a very pretty seihakuji benisai vase by Morino Kako pass through my hands. The vase has found a new home and the new owner sent me a picture of the pot in use in front of her fireplace. There is always something exceptionally satisfying about seeing pots being used for the everyday, the formal occasion and for varying ceremony, it is the fait acompli for most pottery. In this particular case the evocative, lush green and yellow of the iris amplifies the colors and purpose of the vase and adds a punctuation to the function of the Chinese inspired vase. As a functional potter, a pot in use is a pot complete.

(Photo courtesy of a private collector.)

BLOOM

Illustrated is a classically inspired vase form, in Chinese taste, by Kyoto veteran, Morino Kako (1899-1987). This porcelain vase is glazed in a pale, robbin's egg blue seihakuji glaze with an ethereal copper red, peach-bloom accent across the front belly of the pot. To say that Morino Kako was a glaze magician would be an understatement, his glazes were wonderful and most pieces you encounter by him show a precision and artistry that is captivating; techniques and ideals that he passed on to his son, Morino Taimei. Though simple in design and execution, vessels such as this have a profound nature the reminds one of some serendipitous encounter in nature or falling deep into a fine poem or song. It may sound entirely cliche, but frankly, there are few potters that make pots like this today.

You can see more pictures of the Morino Kako over at my virtual market place;

http://www.trocadero.com/stores/albedo3studio/items/1244129/item1244129store.html

USAGI-BLUE

Though firmly rooted in the year of the horse, this wonderful rabbit okimono is worth a look none the less. The rabbit is ever-present in Japanese art as the lunar hare and a number of other depictions and according to the zodiac, one major characteristic of those born in the year of the rabbit is creativity. Made by Sodeisha co-founder and exceptionally creative ceramic artist, Suzuki Osamu (1926-2001), this pale blue seihakuji rabbit is one of a number of zodiac influenced pieces he made sometime after 1969. Though best known for his powerful, abstracted sculptural works, Suzuki left a large number of smaller and very intimate ceramic works which have little to do with function in the strictest sense, though objects of playfulness, enjoyment and contemplation are function enough. This particular piece is patterned after usagi-ningyo dolls that can be found in and around Kyoto, some with drawstring interiors filled with flagrant incense. Made in multiples, these were simple in design, execution and glazing and flawlessly capture a sense of whimsy and spirit of the ubiquitous Japanese rabbit.

SEIJI FRAMEWORK

Illustrated is another piece by Seiji specialist, Suzuki Sansei. Built by hand, this pot is another example of Suzuki's exceptional skill and precision glazing.  A large and imposing form, the tsubo has a wonderfully serene surface with several iron tinged craze lines breaking up the perfection of the surface. The form is further accentuated by thinning the glaze along the high points, ridges and boundaries of the piece giving it a taunt framework that encompasses the fullness of the form and the richness of the glaze. The visual dichotomy between the perfect and the irregular, makes Suzuki's pot an excellent vessel for a prolonged and lively dialogue.