MAKING, NOT COPYING

Like most pottery, there is Bizen that I do and don't like, then there is Kaneshige Michiaki (1934-1995). Michiaki was an outstanding potter who made a subtle yet substantial contribution to Bizen-yaki prior to his all too soon departure. Son of legendary Bizen potter, Kaneshige Toyo, brother to Kosuke (b. 1953) and father of Iwao (b. 1965), Michiaki's career was filled with acolades and milestones including his contact with many of his father's circle of friends, such as Arakawa Toyozo and the highly influential Kitaoji Rosanjin and Isamu Noguchi at the family kiln. Kaneshige Michiaki was also named Okayama Prefectural Intangible Cultural Property in 1990. In the end, what set Michiaki apart from the throngs of Bizen potters was a distinct vision and firing style that is obvious when looking at his body of work or a singular pot. The way in which he handled clay, created vessels and fired his pottery speaks of a potter who made full use of the past while striving to add something to the tradition amplified by his own powerful voice; from guinomi to tsubo, his individuality is echoed in his pottery.

"Tradition (dento) is sometimes confused with transmission (densho). Copying Momoyama period (1568-1615) pieces is transmission. Producing contemporary pieces incorporating Momoyama period techniques is tradition. Tradition consists of retaining transmitted forms and techniques in one's mind when producing a contemporary piece. Tradition is always changing. A mere copy of an old piece has not changed, it is nearly the same as its prototype of three hundred years ago. Tradition consists of producing something new with what one has inherited." An excerpt from an interview with Kaneshige Michiaki conducted by Robert Moes and published in MODERN JAPANESE CERAMICS IN AMERICAN COLLECTIONS.

Illustrated is a squared and pierced Bizen vase by Kaneshige Michiaki. The rich purple-red fire color surface is highlighted by ash which has settled on the vase during the intense firing adding to the geometric design repeated through the sides and top of the vessel. The structure appears just a bit visually precarious, yet in reality the form is bolstered by the creative experience of the potter and the heat of his Bizen kiln.

BLUE MONDAY XVII

Rendered in varying tones of back ink with subtle washes and blue water color, this scroll captures all of the beauty of a masterpiece pot in two dimensions. Painted on paper, this graceful and towering vase has a fluid decoration as only Kawai Kanjiro could render them and at the foot in a rounded cartouche he has signed the scroll using the single kanji; KAN. I am more than particularly fond of preparatory drawings, sketches, water colors, shikishi and scrolls that outline an potter's thoughts in 2-D and this scroll certainly alludes to the brilliance of his masterful, three dimensional forms. Kawai Kanjiro has left a large number of ephemera to document his creativity as well as a good group of calligraphy and paintings created solely as two dimensional works of art. This particular scroll stands somewhere in-between preparatory drawing and work of art and would certainly be exhilarating to see it re-united with the pot which it may have inspired.

GONE FOREVER

A few years after my wife and I were married, we were at a friend's home, they were antique dealers, my wife saw a pin she fell in love with, though out of our price range. We discussed the pin and saved up for it and when we went back, it had sold. We were admonished for not just buying it when we saw it and were given a sound piece of advice, "once sold, it is gone forever". A couple of years later we were in another antique shop and in the case, that very same and exact pin, which we bought. Though that particular event has given hope once a piece goes elsewhere, I am still a realist and am of the mind, "see it, love it, buy it", though circumstances and finances are not always co-operative.

Over the years, several pots that I had pursued, but got away, have made their way back through some circuitous adventure or another, the Furutani Michio chawan I wrote about being a prime example. One recent piece springs to mind as I muse about various advice and aphorisms that were have been given. This particular pot was a chawan that showed up at a Japanese gallery on the web about three and a half years ago. I immediately tried contacting the dealer only to find out that the piece was only purchased just minutes prior. Needless to say, I was rather disappointed even though the financial timing was all wrong. Fast forward almost exactly one year and the dealer that bought it decides to put it up for sale on yet another website. If the timing was bad last time, this time it is impossible as we were saving up for a new roof and yes, a roof takes precedence even over pots, or that is at least how my wife thinks. I point the pot out to a collector friend who immediately buys the bowl, gone again. Another two years passes and the collector friend who bought it decides to restructure and refocus his collection and collecting and asks if I want to buy the bowl. Being the third chance to buy the pot I couldn't let daily impediments get in the way and the bowl comes our way along with a generous payment plan, third time ends up being the charm. Finally, the chawan arrives exactly where I thought it should be all along and the moral of the story; it is great to have friends and It would seem that forever is not necessarily as long as we have always been lead to believe.

Illustrated is the chawan in question. Perched atop a high foot and resembling the wobbly posture of the Mine(no)Momiji chawan, this Shino bowl is by Tsukigata Nahiko and the abstract decoration is in fact calligraphy on the omote, face of the piece. This large and generous bowl, rich and over flowing with iron and feldspar, has all of the tell tale characteristics of Tsukigata's work and despite its size, it has a wonderful feel in hand and a presence that beckons the viewer to pick it up. Named the "Autumn Rose"( Aki-bara) the bowl has the posture and presence of a bowl from a much earlier time; Tsukigata infused his study of Momoyama ceramics, his master's work and harnessed his own creative spirit to produce a bowl that adds an innovative twist to the tradition of Shino pottery.

TRANSFERED HISTORY

Having a little extra time on my hands, I am still in the process of getting negatives and slides transferred to digital images seeing moments of my pottery history unfold image by image. In a recent group of slides, I came across some more wood fired pots, which I am guessing date to about 1993-1995. I am not 100% sure were these were fired, but, at least I am sure they were wood fired. Illustrated is a tall, hoso-mizusashi style form that was thrown out of a rough Kentucky clay which I had dug and is approximately 12" tall to the knob. The hollow knob was thrown when the lid was thrown and was a technique that Kirk Mangus used on many of his pots at Kent State University. It is always interesting seeing old pots that I have made and wondering where they are now and are they still being enjoyed. Some of my pieces have made interesting travels; one piece bought in Cleveland, moved to NYC, then Toronto, Australia and back home to Israel where it is today. There are still hundreds and hundreds, possibly thousands of slides/ negatives to go through, I wonder what other pieces I will see and if I even remember throwing them!

BLUE MONDAY XVI

Illustrated is a simple Persian blue lidded koro, incense burner by Kato Kenji. Using his trademark design under his classic glaze, the small pot is well articulated by his well practiced and time proven brushwork. The simple, pinwheel inspired cutouts further animate the piece while creating vents for the wafting incense to leave the pot. Though I am sure Kato Kenji made possibly hundreds of these koro, in their simplicity and purpose, they never fail to please the eye.

UTILITARIAN ELEGANCE

Illustrated is a rather simple and practical gosu glazed covered serving bowl by Kawai Takeichi. As one would expect, having spent a long while under the tutelage of Kawai Kanjiro, this piece based in total function has a utilitarian elegance in both design and execution. The knob was made to both compliment the form/lid as well as to be easy to grasp and pleasant to the eye, the flange around the area where the lid sits serves as an area that fits the hand well as a built in handle all around the form. It is these conscious and unconscious developments that are seen in many Kawai school pots that create a distinct look which is easily identifiable as the works of the master and his students. There is an undisputed brilliance to the forms and surfaces of Kawai Kanjiro which he passed on to his students by sheer fact that they were surrounded by his work, both finished and in progress; a great student, sees the work and has most of his questions answered for him of which Kawai Takeichi was certainly among the most accomplished.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2014

Borrowing from the well know toast; "here is to hoping that the best of 2013 is the worst of your 2014!". Happy New Year to everyone, best of pottery making for potters and happy hunting for all you collectors out there.

Illustrated is a nice Iga tokkuri and guinomi by Furutani Kazuya, son and student of the late, great master potter, Furutani Michio. KANPAI!

BONJI

Illustrated is a carved wood panel from a catalogue I found circa 1983. The panel was carved by Tsukigata Nahiko and portrays a bonji or an ancient Sanskrit character which originated in Northern Indian and through centuries of transmission made their way in to Japan and were used by a variety of Buddhist sects for mantra(s) and sutra. This is the first bonji I have seen carved by Tsukigata and the choice of wood, style of carving and placement within the panel are just wonderful.

PAINTED SNOW

Illustrated is a casual photo of a superb pot sent to me by a collector friend. Though like the casual photo, the pot is also rich in symbolism and movement with the feeling of being both relaxed and immediate. This horai, iron glazed mizusashi was made by Shimizu U'ichi (1926-2004) and reflects the spirited nature of winter with the balance of the austere black iron and the fluffy white glaze with the quick rendition of the kanji for flower and moon ( and snow just out of view) etched through the white with the finger, like painted snow of a by-gone  and well practiced literati master. Working out of Shiga, originally a native Gojo-zaka potter from Kyoto, Shimizu makes use of clay and materials from the Hira Mountains which divide Kyoto from Lake Biwa and Shigaraki. Beyond creating a unique vision in iron and celadon glazes, the works of Shimizu U'ichi reflect the blend of the rustic,  the cultured and the brevity and serendipitous that is evoked in the environment and pottery that surrounded this 20th century master.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

I wanted to take a moment and wish everyone out there a very Happy Holiday and a most joyous New Year. With family, friends or home alone celebrating alone, I truly hope all are moved and filled with the positive and festive sentiments of the season.

Here are two enjoyable if not entirely tradition Christmas classics;