SHARED PSYCHOSIS

There is just something so intoxicating about a good wood fired pot. Over the years I have tried to put my finger on exactly why they are so appealing but as I ask the question an exact reason still escapes me. There is something so elemental, primal and honest about the process of shaping clay and placing it within a kiln and then unleashing a premordial energy and ferocity into the mix which despite a potters best intention and skill does what ever the heck it wants. The truth is that every firing is different than the previous for a variety of reasons from how packed the kiln is, placement of pots, stoking, external temperature, barametric pressure and any other variable that can create great pieces or doom a firing. The illustrated bowl shows off the potential of a well placed bowl in a woodkiln and the mastery of a potter who knows how to exploit his clay, process and firing. Made by Shimaoka Tatsuzo this wonderful bowl shows off his skillful zogan technique together with a rich  rusty purple fire color and a face covered in running ash where the piece confronted the fire, head on. I may not have figured out exactly where the love of such pots stems from deep in my psyche but I take solace in knowing that I am not alone.

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".

PERSPECTIVE

perspective; pər-ˈspek-tiv, the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance

Every now and again my wife will look at a pot up on my blog and tell me that I need to add something to help define the size and volume of a pot. On eBay I have seen pop cans, cigarette lighters and packs, dollar bills and a host of other daily objects but I just don't find my way to using these objects, I would rather let the photo imply the size and let the viewer work out the mental math and imagery. In my years of making pots, loading kilns and making commissions I think I have become rather adept at understanding volume in the abstract until every once and a while a pot will show up that just defies the actual dimensions and the scale and volume catch me off guard.

Illustrated is a pot, well actually two pots that arrived here within a few days of each other by sheer happenstance and an example of not being fully prepared for the size of a piece. What you are looking at is a good size Shino chawan over 13cm across by Matsuzaki Ken inside a rather large Shino O-tsubo by the same potter which I thought may illustrate the point of perspective. The chawan was carefully placed inside the o-tsubo which are both glazed in the same fashion, a thin coat of Shino with a much thick, viscous layer of Shino being applied with the potter's hand and raked and in the doing leaving swaths of almost pure white in his wake. The two pots from different sources were both wood fired and have areas of various other effects across the surface including rich, iridescent yohen and ash dusted about the surfaces and interior of the chawan. The other interesting thing about these pieces is that both of them were bought out of exhibitions in Japan and are both illustrated in the accompanying catalogues. Maybe my wife is right, sometimes using the right object to show scale and volume is exactly what is called for.

STAPLE

When you think of the larger pottery studios across Japan the constant hum and bustle of the master, apprentices and other various works brings to life the pottery of every day use throughout the country. These big potteries produce functional and utilitarian ware in every conceivable shape, size and surface from Bizen, Oribe, Shino, Shigaraki and of course Mashiko to name but a few. Illustrated is what is arguably the definitive kyusu style teapot direct for Mashiko and the studio of the late master, Shimaoka Tatsuzo. Created with pure function and elemental aesthetics in mind, this style of teapot is a pleasure to use and contemplate while enjoying one's tea. The angles of the comfortable handle and well constructed spout are perfect for the task and the lid sits just deeply enough in the gallery to stay put while the classic Shimaoka surface adds more to the experience than just the simple act of pouring tea. Though based on a number of archetypes that proceeded it, this teapot is a quintessential staple of the Shimaoka pottery and all those apprentices who came and went over the decades of such considered and thoughtful design and production.

QISMAH

When it comes to firing the results you achieve can sometimes be distilled down to where the pot was placed and in regards to a wood, salt or soda kiln that is certainly the case. This compact and well fired chawan is an excellent example of being in the perfect spot of a wood fired salt kiln, the results are literally painted across the face, back and interior of the bowl which processes a distinctly defiant tone having made it through the ferocity of the firing. If you look carefully you can see some of the impressed mishima texture peaking out from behind the ash and salt surface identifying Ningen Kokuho, Shimaoka Tatsuzo as the maker. The bowl is a compact form that easily rests comfortably in the hand and rests on a simple yet effective foot with an eroded indent in the ring caused by the wad sinking into the clay during the tremendous fury of the firing. Shimaoka fired a number of his tea pieces and other pieces of merit in highly desirable spots in the kiln to give them every advantage for a painted by fire surface and in this case it is just another example of being in the right place at the right time.

ONE OR THE OTHER

Illustrated is a simple wood fired crackle white glazed bowl with added feet by Randy Johnston made during the mid-1990s. Fully functional in design and execution, Johnston's wood fired pots explore what possibilities arise from falling ash accentuating mark, ridges, lips and shallows and to that end, the interior of this bowl and the lip clearly show the efforts of the firing and potter. Having studied with both Warren MacKenzie and Shimaoka Tatsuzo, this bowl shows the influence of the former while wood firing glazed ware reflects the later, either way it is a reflection of both masters while maintaining its individual voice of a conscious and thoughtful potter.

Cat Stevens; INTO WHITE

BLUE MONDAY XIII

Salt fired in the last chamber of his nobori-gama this rice-bowl inspired chawan is a lovely example of the work of Shimaoka Tatsuzo (1919-2007). Taking a number of cues from his master, Hamada Shoji, this simple, yet elegant salt fired bowl has his patented Jomon-zogan technique using rich cobalt contrasted against the pale green salted surface. The generous form and crisp cut foot are complimented by the band of cobalt which seems to hold the pot together like a taut belt while the angle of the inlay yields perpetual motion. The bowl pays homage to not only the work of Hamada but the countless number of folk potters who proceeded and inspired them both.

PROVENANCE

Provenance is defined as the origin or source of something, the history of ownership of an object or a valued work of art. The term originates from the French word meaning, "to come from" and that just about sums up what most people desire to know about things, objects that interest them. For many collectors, it seems the provenance adds some legitimacy to the thing and can be of equal importance to the object itself and for others the place where the piece was bought is provenance enough.

I am constantly being asked about or for the provenance of various pots that I post on my blog or that I am selling on my market place at Trocadero. Truth be told, for 95% there is no definitive provenance, someone bought a pot from someone who had bought a pot from someone else or from an auction, flea market, estate sale, tag sale, antique show or another internet website. Basically it boils down to the provenance being somewhat illusive and murky as the pot makes it circuitous route from its place of origin in Japan or Ottawa, the point of origin is about the only  absolute in the equations. Not to lessen the value of modern pots, but let's face it, we aren't dealing with Faberge eggs or Picasso paintings. For those "collectibles" I can understand and even rationalize the insistence on a concrete provenance, with most pots though the best that can be attached to the pot is a guarantee that the particular pot is genuine. 

As I have mentioned previously on my blog, playing detective is a useful skill when trying to track down the sometimes illusive history and provenance of a pot. The large Kohyama mentori vase is a good example where a certain part of the history has been discovered, but the time in between the exhibit in which the pot was photographed and its current residence, over two decades, remains in the shadows. I will concede that having photos from exhibitions like that or pots included in catalogues is about the best, sure fire provenance for most modern pots, excluding of course, exceptionally famous and important pieces. Illustrated is a very fine wood fired Yohen-Shino chaire photographed in front of a picture of itself from an exhibit catalogue, much like a mirror image. The chaire is by Shimaoka Tatsuzo student, Matsuzaki Ken and was fired in his large new wood kiln. The pot was first glazed in a thin wash of Shino which he swiped thick Shino over. The shoulder attracted ash and the introduction of large amounts of charcoal into the kiln created a rich reduction atmosphere which further affected the surface leading to areas of iridescence on the shoulder; the pure white ivory lid just adds a punctuation to the piece. At the end of the day, the picture of the chaire in front of the catalogue definitely defines its origin, but the mystery still remains; what was this piece up to between then and now?

FORM

It is not necessarily an easy thing to admit, to come face to face with, but I have an addiction. I am a form addict, a form junkie if you will. It is forms that first capture my attention, not material, not surface, it is the form that first communicates with me on an intellectual and very visceral level. The stronger and more honest a form, the greater is the attraction. Over the years, I have come to understand how it is that I can love a wonderful seiji vase and an Iga mizusashi with equal enthusiasm, the common denominator is the form and how it commands space and the volume it struggles to contain. The form is also the seeming contradiction between the exterior, which is laid bare and the mystery of the interior. Add to this that each form can act as a metaphor for whatever the mind conjures; so what could really be more important than the form of a good pot?

Illustrated is a paddled vase that speaks about form accompanied by decoration and happenstance. This Mashiko vase was made by Shimaoka Tatsuzo (1919-2007) and the strong and purposeful form was decorated with his impressed rope decoration and then the pot was placed in a salt fired wood kiln with each facet of the pot complimenting the other. Without the great form, the surface and firing would have been for naught, but in this instance, all coalesce to create an exemplary pot.

ANOTHER SIMPLE BOWL

Illustrated are two views of a "simple" chawan by legendary Mashiko potter; Shimaoka Tatsuzo (1919-2007).  The eye is immediately drawn to the ash covered lip and drawn into the bowl to be overwhelmed by the ash flow and thick pool of glass at the bottom of the bowl. Though the bowl would seem simple in design and execution, it was masterfully created and fired, to accentuate and animate the pot. The ridge that circles the chawan at mid-point, collects the ash as it runs down from the lip creating a line of deeply colored glass formed from the natural ash inside the kiln with the ridges of the foot also collecting ash to distinctly distinguish it from the body of the bowl. It speaks to the mastery of clay and fire, that a potter could understand how the chawan would transform, once it was fired. It would seem that any idea that can be done, can be stripped to the barest of essentials and made pure in its simplicity and this chawan is just such a pot. That so simple a pot could have some much energy to share with the viewer is truly a testament to any potter.

TRANSFORMATION

With all things, there is much about Mashiko pottery that I like and dislike. One of the things I like best about a lot of Mashiko-yaki is the effort to produce objects of utility and function. When I think of Mashiko, naturally I think about Hamada Shoji and then to his best know pupil Ningen Kokuho; Shimaoka Tatsuzo (1919-2007). I have handled a large number of Shimaoka’s pots and have always been pleased with their feel and grasp of utility. Though all of his works are marked (after the death of Shoji Hamada), many of the works with his mark were made by apprentices. Much of his pottery that comes from his kiln has that “people’s art” (mingei) feel to it and as such it embraces function and every day use whether it is made by him or any number of his students.

The illustrated piece is a bit different than the every day Shimaoka pottery. This Yohen-Jomon Zogan mizusashi is intended as a piece of ritual and due to its choice spot in the wood fired kiln (nobori-gama) it has exceeded the everyday object. Fitted with a custom made roiro lacquer lid, this mizusashi shows off the inlaid rope design Shimaoka is so well known for along with natural wood ash cascading down the front of the pot and encircling the lip. It is the subtle choices of form and firing that transforms this Shimaoka pot from a piece for daily use to a master work intended for the ritual of tea (chanoyu). It would seem, these choices are what separate student from master.