TETSU-GUCHI

Illustrated is a detail from a large iron and temmoku glazed vase that was from my last firing.  What I like most about this particular glaze is that it manifests differing characteristics in texture depending on thickness and varying angles and edges of a pot. Along the interior and exterior of the neck, the glaze has created a myriad of partridge feather style streaks while where it has pooled on the mouth and ridge just below, it creates wonderful little whirlpools of texture. The body of the vase has streaking similar to the neck but is punctuated at intervals with temmoku spots showing through the iron glaze creating its own unique pattern, both ring lugs have fired to a reddish hue with the bulk of the glaze running off them creating cascades down either side under the appendages. Having a real fondness for rather runny glazes, I have yet to see two pieces come out exactly the same and am reasonably sure that I won't any time soon.

SUMI-TOKKURI

Illustrated is a shikishi by Ningen Kokuho, Kato Kozo of a delightful Shino tokkuri with a mountain, grasses and plover design. This tokkuri, rendered in soft washes of ink may have been a representational study of one of his works or just a quick and spontaneous drawing of a piece from his mind's eye. Either way, it captures the essential beauty of Momoyama influenced, modern Shino at its very core.

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)

COPPER EFFECTS

In my most recent glaze firing, the aim was to test out my latest Oribe glaze that is not based on the extinct lepidolite. I was able to make up 7000 gr. and able to glaze pots over 16" tall without the machinations necessary with the lepidolite version. The latest version has copper carbonate, a small amount of well milled black copper oxide and an equal amount of red iron to temper the glaze a bit. Unlike the lepidolite version, which has wonderful halo like effects, iridescence and rich pooling, the latest version has a very interesting if unpredictable pooling of a blue-green moss like effect where the pot is flat or where the glaze has built up to an increased thickness. What this effect does to the table is its ability to bring various marks and artifice to life and helps articulate the pot. Illustrated is the flange and lid of an Oribe style jar with impressed decorations around the pot. The high points and various marks are highlighted by the blue-green texture while the high points remain green. I think it adds a visual interest to the pot, though unintended and not totally controllable, it is welcome none the less.

More pictures of this jar can be seen on my Trocadero market place;

http://www.trocadero.com/stores/albedo3studio/items/1198793/item1198793store.html

 

A NEW ORIBE

I fired off the kiln last Friday with a group of pots glazed up in my newest Oribe glaze. Along with the Oribe pieces were a number of iron red and temmoku pots and a few other combinations. The firing went well, with a single mishap from a too runny pot, but when you work with runny glazes, it is bound to happen and why most pots are wadded and fired on either pieces of old broken shelf or on soft brick pieces. The Oribe glaze worked rather well and was a step up from the few teabowls and small jars that have been glazed to date. I fired a few vases and jars that were between 13" and 16" tall and having a glaze that is not dependant on lepidolite makes that scale much easier to glaze. I think this is the green glaze I will be using for the foreseeable future, but I am well aware, I am always one glaze test away from going with something entirely new.

Illustrated is the kaku-kinuta vase I posted up on the blog a week ago. The glaze responded well on the form and allowed the details and marks from the paddling to stand out without obscuring them. Where the glaze ran and pooled on the shoulder it created a neat effect as the copper built up and began to create a rich blue-green texture. The second illustration is a detail of the mouth and shoulder of an Oribe glazed tsubo that has combed slip decoration around the pot. The green is very intense and iridescent around the mouth and elsewhere and there are areas of rich blue-green tendrils created by a saturation of copper in the glaze. All in all, not a bad firing for a test glaze.

MIYAMA

If I close my eyes and think about what the quintessential Hagi chawan would look like, there are several bowls that come to mind. It would have a broad and pleasant form, lots of glaze variations, tones of pinks and lavender, gritty daido clay and a strong and proud foot, not at all unlike the chawan illustrated. Made by Miwa Kyuwa in the mid-1970's, this chawan has all the features that make Hagi-yaki so wonderful and desirable. Named MIYAMA, "beautiful mountain" by Sokuchusai (Mujin Sosa 1901-1979), its name captures the powerful, somber and majestic nature of this bowl. Miwa Kyuwa, one of the finest Hagi potters of the 20th century,  created this bowl which epitomizes a classic tradition and though an aesthetic tour de force, his goal was to create function before beauty. Due to his exceptional skill and eye, he was able to do both without compromising either.

(Photo used with the kind permission of a collector.)

SIMPATICO

I know I have droned on about music in regards to working previously, but it seems to be a topic that comes up from time to time. I recently had a nice series of emails regarding music and we compared notes as to what music we tend to listen to with various tasks; from throwing and trimming, to decorating, carving, glaze making and glazing. I noticed, that we both listened to some of the same music for similar tasks, which I found more than a coincidence and rather interesting. Yesterday, I was carving a group of porcelain bowls and the music I was listening to was a compilation of classical, new age and electronic music which included a few by Tomita, some Jarre and Vangelis, some jazzed up Claire De Lune versions by various artists and Alan Parson's Project, I, ROBOT. The cd is contemplative, soft and without any abrupt or loud interruptions, it is simpatico with the task at hand. I am a firm believer that we each have our own soundtrack to our lives and this is just another group that gets me through yet another part of making my pottery and enjoying it along the way.

ANOTHER KODAI

I pictured the MINE (no) MOMIJI chawan on my blog a long while back and thought it a good idea to show the kodai from this chawan. Keep in mind, this is an old bowl, one of the first true chawan ever made and look at that foot. Beyond being eminently practical and full of purpose, it has such casual grace and strength which when upright, creates a dramatic sense of lift for the bowl. This was created using intuition, experience and dare I say, creative common sense? The chawan was created not as a copy of other chawan but rather as the next step forward from the found objects used early on in tea. There are few chawan like this bowl and the potter who created it made a form and kodai that honestly is unequalled to this day. Surely it was not just cosmic serendipity, this chawan was created through determined and practiced effort and no doubt there were more like it but time has taken its toll and left us with this wondrous example of a Momoyama chawan.

KAKU-KINUTA

I have been working on a stoneware firing and decided to make a number of vases, tsubo and jars for my newest Oribe glaze to see how it looks on larger pots. In the group are a pair of trumpet vases, one with sprigged on and impressed devices as well as a few covered jars with impressed designs and some other forms. Illustrated is a thrown and altered vase, about 15" tall, made in two pieces, that was first thrown round and then paddled square. The neck and body were also slightly textured during the forming and I am hoping the texture stands out once the piece is glazed in the transparent Oribe. I am hoping to bisque the group of pots by the middle of next week and will, with a bit of luck, glaze up and fire as soon as possible when they come out of the kiln. I had wanted to try to make such a form for some time and the last day of throwing for this cycle proved to be the exact right time. One down, hundreds to go.

CANDID

A while back, I was fortunate to handle a rather nice Shigaraki mizusashi by the late Furutani Michio and like many pots, it has found its new home. The form, illustrated in this candid shot, was coil and thrown and is a classic style pot by a potter who had an innate sense  which blended clay, form and firing to create a pot that was meant to be wood fired. In this case, the form, like a pair of stacked stones faced the fire and stood up to the fury of the flame and charcoal which painted the face in a variety of ash effects. The lugs toward the top of the pot and a few delft marks created while the wheel was spinning, add gesture and articulate the piece while the large knob on the lid beckons the viewer to pick it up. It is easy for me to get carried away looking at a pot by Furutani, he made it very easy to do so.

Though Furutani Michio did not lack for any skilled and insightful effort, when I look at his work, this quote often springs to mind; "Experience shows that success is due less to effort than to zeal. The winner is he who gives himself to his work, body and soul."  Charles Buxton (1823-1871)