HIBACHI

Illustrated is a large Tokoname shudei hibachi ("fire-bowl") by Yamada Tozan I (1878-1940). The pot has a burnished surface and a lengthy inscription carved into it with a long date and signature to conclude the text, after the signature is an annotation, SAKU-TO, self carved. Tozan I was succeeded by his son Yamada Tozan II (1907-1998) and in turn he by his son Tozan III (current). Shudei ware was developed early in the Edo period in Tokoname (Aichi prefecture) and is known for its fine grained, iron rich clay that fires to a variety of red tones including bright red vermillion. The clay is burnished to achieve these fine red surfaces and then once burnished the decoration is carved through the tightly packed surface creating a two-tone effect. The Tokoname potters specialized in carved kyusu teapots/cups, teaware (sencha and matcha) and censors(koro) and braziers among other items with hand carved (tosaku) floral and dragon decorations as well as extensive and idiosyncratic texts, prayers (sutra), travelogues, narratives, etc. This particular hibachi dates from the late 1920s and is a typical piece for Tozan I as well as the Tokoname style in general and since this pot has been in the US since just after WWII, I am curious what it has been used for during its stay State side?

Here is a short video of Tokoname potter, Yamada Tozan III that I found on YouTube:

THE RIGHT BLEND

Looking a bit more like a medieval storage than a modern mizusashi this pot owes its creation to a adherence to tradition and an eye to the future. Made by Osako Mikio this Tokoname mizusashi finds its roots in Kamakura to Edo era storage jars while uniquely blending the old with the modern approach that was first espoused by Ezaki Issei and carried on by two of his students; Osako Mikio and Takeuchi Kimiaki. This mizusashi has a rather feudal form and simple lid with a surface of rich textured running ash which has created a pot that has an exceptionally utilitarian feel balanced with the complexities of the Chanoyu for which it was both intended and well suited. Synthesizing the formal and the everyday, Osako Mikio created pots that are conversant in both their purpose and the casual nature they reflect. Finding its origins in the old, this modern pot is a classic addition to the Tokoname tradition and a unique vision that clearly points to a dedicated potter.

"Every pot has its lid."  Old Proverb

誰にでも適当な似合いの人がいる 

HIKIDASHI-GURO

There are very few potters who create a broad and diverse body of work that are as instantly recognizable as the pottery of Koie Ryoji and this hikidashi-guro chawan is no exception. The chawan is a classic Koie pot and bares many of the characteristics that point directly at him from casual, wonky form, incised marks on the exterior and an often used kodai. There is little else I can say other than as Koie touches the clay, it is given its distinct voice. Enjoy the short video.

BLUE MONDAY XX REVISITED

I had several people email and ask to see a picture of the blue ash tsubo by Takeuchi Kimiaki, so here it is. Softly thrown, this classic pot has a wonderful surface created by both applied ash and natural ash acquired during the wood firing. The long and running tendrils of the ash glaze give the tsubo and impression of height despite being under a foot tall. Probably the most amazing aspect of this pot is that the glaze, very much like an opal, changes appearance rather dramatically depending on the light source. In low, dusky light, it has a somber, even brooding appearance in in bright light it has a rather festive attitude. The works of Takeuchi Kimiaki never cease to amaze me and I can hardly wait for my next encounter.

BLUE MONDAY XX

 

Illustrated is a detail shot of the shoulder and mouth of a soft blue ash Tokoname tsubo by Takeuchi Kimiaki. Thrown out of a rich Tokoname clay and then glazed in a blue toned ash glaze, this pot was then wood fired at some point mid-way in the kiln with just hints of natural fallen ash and charcoal effects dusting the pot. I thought this was an excellent juxtaposition to the ash glazed plate that I posted up a week ago and shows the rich and creative diversity Takeuchi Kimiaki was well known for. It is for works exactly such as this one that Takeuchi Kimiaki was able to take up the mantle of Tokoname pottery that his master, Ezaki Issei had laid the ground work for and added new, multi-dimensional and evocative contributions to a tradition born a thousand years earlier.

TEXTBOOK

I have written about Takeuchi Kimiaki (1948-2011) before in my blog and suffice it to say, he was a giant within the field of modern Tokoname pottery. Takeuchi took cues and direction from not only his master, Ezaki Issei, but fellow Tokoname potters such as Osako Mikio and Ogawa Yukihiko. Together, the group forged a rebirth into the pottery of Tokoname and each became synonymous with their own unique styling. Illustrated is a large hachi by Takeuchi Kimiaki that could stand as the textbook or signature style of his body of work. The surface has had a glassy green ash glaze "flung" across its surface with careful and well thought out design and the rest of the pot is adorned with effects of a wood firing that has peppered the surface with speckles of ash and the body richly reduced by charcoal created during the firing. As I mentioned, this style of plate is a classic example of his work and I have seen several of this hachi in print used to represent the potter for a vivid and creative style he was well known for. I am always amazed at the clash between such a perfectly thrown plate adorned with what appears to be such casual decoration; a method that is well practiced and highly successful as it was developed from the very core of a modern Tokoname potter.

OGUCHI TSUBO

Illustrated is a phenomenal and classically inspired Tokoname tsubo by Takeuchi Kimiaki (1948-2011). The form and surface look as though it was made six centuries ago at the height of the Tokaname medieval tradition but is in fact a modern reworking of the ideal made by a modern potter. Takeuchi Kimiaki, studied with Ezaki Issei who was one of the essential component for the resurgence of  Tokoname pottery in modern Japan. Though Takeuchi is well known for his use of "splashed" ash on pots, especially platters, this pot has a natural surface, covered in running translucent green ash, the result of exceptional placement in his kiln and the intense atmosphere created by wood firing pots; the slightly deforming lip stands testament to the heat and ferocity within his kiln. This wonderful, timeless and classical tsubo also stands testament to the teaching of Ezaki and the dedication and skill of one of modern Tokoname's finest potters; Takeuchi Kimiaki.

A TOKONAME SURFACE

Illustrated is another pot by Tokoname legend, Osako Mikio. This evocative hanaire first had a glaze applied and then was fired in the fire-mouth of his wood kiln. The sometimes subtle, ash coated pot has given way to a molten yet luminescent surface of varying hues reminiscent of some long buried Roman glass. The complex nature of the surface is tempered by the simplicity of form, another trademark of the potter. Though I have not seen this pot in person, I handled a chawan a long while back with a nearly identical surface and I can say, it makes for a wonderfully rich Tokoname surface that has a great deal to say both visually and to the sense of touch.

A NEW SPARK

A while back, I posted a stellar  tsubo by Tokoname legend, Osaka Mikio and then a bit later amother post of the same pot, with a photo from a book showcasing the potter. Now comes another pot, made at the very same time as the tsubo, 1982, though made in an entirely different method. Illustrated is a large Tokoname platter by Osako that has an evocative ash glaze poured onto the surface which is further enhanced by the wood firing process. The surface palette runs from a milky emerald color to a rich bidoro style deep green around crevices helping frame the plate in glassy accents. What is so unusual about this piece is that the potter, first threw a thick disk of clay, let it firm up a bit and then literally "carved" the plate out of the disk, certainly a new spark for a long standing tradition. The marks left by cutting away the rough clay, narrates the adventure of the pot and makes for wonderful variations in the surfaces where glaze and ash were allowed to build up. This plate shows why Osako Mikio was so highly regarded for adding something new to Tokoname ware that dates back many centuries.

(Used with the permission of a private collector)

WHAT'S MY LINE

Illustrated is a vase by Ogawa Yukihiko. Showing an obvious Tokoname influence, Ogawa was actually taught by Kyoto renaissance potter and salt fire pioneer, Iwabuchi Shigeya (1925-1993) before he went on to study the pots of Mashiko and Tokoname. Many of his pots are medieval interpretations of Tokoname pottery and a large tsubo can be seen in the Madame Kikuchi Collection. This formal style vase was wood fired and the ash on the face of the pot is a combination of applied and natural accumulation from the firing. The sparse use of incised lines around the neck and body create a nice visual unity to this classical pot.

A FLARE FOR THE DRAMATIC

Just recently, I was fortunate to be able to study a wonderful tsubo by Tokoname legendary potter, Osako Mikio (1940-1995). This tsubo was truly the embodiment of the medieval tradition of Tokoname and was the epitome of simplicity, strength and grace. Osako Mikio, together with his teacher, Ezaki Issei and fellow student, Takeuchi Kimiaki, ushered in a rebirth of medieval Tokoname styled pottery, re-establishing the idiom and tradition. The trio borrowed from the past to re-establish a contemporary Tokoname, the oldest of the 6 ancient kiln sites, Roku-koyo

Using cues from old Sueki wares, Sanage-yaki (glazed medieval pottery) and the yakishime pottery fired in large O-gama which fired to 1300 degrees c., Osako carved out a vital niche in Tokoname pottery. He arrived at ceramics late in life, starting to study with Ezaki Issei at the Tokonmane ceramic Research Center in 1968 and staying with his teacher until he built his first kiln in 1982. Known for his yakishime and ash glazed pottery, Osako won a number of prestigious awards including including first prize at the International Ceramics Exhibition in Vallauris.

Osako Mikio, who came late to ceramics, left well too soon at 55 years of age. His profound understanding of wood firing, post firing and pottery in general was exceptional and his forms and surfaces are mature beyond his years of experience. A fitting quote by Dr. Frederick Baekeland from the catalogue; MODERN JAPANESE CERAMICS IN AMERICAN COLLECTIONS, sums up the true nature of the potter and his pots; “The strong, conventional potting and rich sobriety of Osako’s ceramics appeal to the modern taste and accords well with the aesthetic canons of the tea ceremony.”

Illustrated is a meihin (masterpiece) tsubo by Osako Mikio made in 1982, the year he built his anagama and won the Vallauris prize. It borrows strongly from the ancient Sueki pottery found in Tokoname and has a spectacular ash surface composed of both applied ash and natural ash (shizen) that formed while the pot was wood fired in a Tokoname style anagama kiln. The fullness of the pot, culminating in the wide, flared neck puts me in mind to one of those timeless pots, born of the medieval tradition, yet executed in the modern day. Measuring about 12” x 14”, it is a pot of nobility and purpose and among the finest pots by Osako Mikio, I have ever seen


(Courtesy of a private collector)

ASH CASCADE

Like Nakazato Muan to Karatsu, Arakawa Toyozo to Shino and Miwa Kyusetsu X to Hagi, Ezaki Issei can be considered to be the catalyst of the modern Tokoname tradition. On top of teaching several of modern Tokoname’s potters, Takeuchi Kimiaki and Osako Mikio, Ezaki began to make large scale tsubo and hachi that owed there inspiration to the medieval wares of the region. Using a variety of wood and rice ash glazes he recreated the spirit of ancient Tokoname in his modern work and passed on this ideal to his students and contemporary potters. He is best known for his crisp and insightful forms that used the medieval tradition as a basis, while maintaining a decidedly modern quality to his work.

Illustrated is a medium sized tsubo that has a massive presence because of its solid form with ash cascading down, creating a wonderful sense of movement. The uniquely cut lip of the neck adds to the mystique of a true pioneer potter.

(Illustration used with the permission of a collector)