POSSIBLY, MAYBE

I have seen a lot of Meiji era pottery over the years from the studio wares, Kyo-yaki to the early pioneers who ushered in the studio pottery movement possibly best characterized a bit later by Hamada Shoji, Kawai Kanjiro, Kitaoji Rosanjin and Tomimoto Kenkichi.  The reason I bring up the early studio movement and modern studio potters is that I recently handled an Oribe koro that seemed to be much more Meiji than modern in clay, glaze and ukibori style decoration. Ukibori is best defined as carving that creates raised areas (relief) out of a surface common to metal, wood and clay and is a skill of patiences and attention to detail which this koro shows.

Made by classic Showa era Mino potter, Tobii Takashi (1941-2009), this koro was likely thrown and then had the ukibori decoration formed in a mold and then carefully applied, applique style to the koro surface, avoiding trapping any air behind the applique and then skillfully sealed to adhere the decoration to the piece. Once this was completed, the relief decoration was further fine tuned by adding details by hand for a wonderful array of foliage with thoughtful areas of negative space to be filled and articulated in the glazing. Once bisque the koro was selectively glazed in varying thicknesses of an Oribe glaze from deep, rich green to areas where only a sheen highlights the creamy surfaces and varying leaves pop out or fade into the distance. A few cherry blossoms, kiku can be seen on the body of the piece as well as on the lid where they are pierced to allow the koro to function. As I mentioned when I first saw this piece I thought I was looking at a Meiji era Kyo-yaki piece but as it turns out, appearances are deceiving for this great little Oribe Mino koro.

白い龍

Though entitled, HAKU-RYU (White Dragon) the description of this ceramic okimono is not exactly correct from my point of view. Showing a variety of shades and colors from lavender to grey blue and hints of white, this dragon has a speckled, pore like texture of white dots throughout the glaze on this form. Molded out of what appears to be an iron rich stoneware, this form has a palpable tension to the form, like a coiled spring  created through simple lines and strong and decisive curves creating the body, neck, head and limbs. Created by the master potter and Kyoto native, Kusube Yaichi, he is well known for his sculptural pieces such as this dragon and other figures molded out of fine porcelain and stoneware and showcasing his virtuosity of glaze making and use. Though a simple, singular glaze, like most of Kusube's pieces, there is nothing simple at work here, there is depth and movement to the form and surface which is defined by the breaking qualities of the exterior. The most amazing quality of Kusube's zodiac and other figures is that though using few lines and little detail, he has infused the piece with the essence of the dragon, its mythical power and symbolism created from the natural elements of earth, air, fire and water.

MDCC

A short while back I wrote a blog post about "recycling" test glazes and making every attempt to see if I can get them to work as a stand alone glaze but also in combination with other glazes as a base glaze, over a glaze or in some other combination with existing or other test glazes. The Oribe test I showed used a manganese dioxide/ cobalt carbonate glaze (MDCC) over it and I also tried the same test glaze over my temmoku that I use. Illustrated is the results of the first test using this new combo where what resulted is a soft metallic surface that shows a wide array of visual textures which seem to almost mimic oilspot textures around the form. I suspect all the oxides interacted to create this surface and I would say trying these tests glazes over and over again in various ways and incarnations can occasionally pay off.  I am not 100% sure what to do with this surface at the moment but I will move on to the teabowl size phase next and see what results that will yield. proceeding at this pod, to teacup to teabowl pace may seem a bit cautious but in fact it saves money on making up test glazes that then need to be thrown out and at the very least there is a good maxim to embrace; "slow and steady wins the race".

PLATYCODON GRANDIFLORUS

Illustrated is a classic Arakawa-mon (school) chawan by long time apprentice, Nakayama Naoki who served a long apprenticeship prior to setting up his own studio/kiln in Ogaya Village. Well known for his freehand and simple decoration of his chawan using the Chinese bellflower design, Nakayama's chawan bear a striking resemblance to that of his master, Arakawa Toyozo but upon close examination there are subtle differences, nuances that are apparent not because he wasn't capable of copying the master but rather out of respect he searched out his own vocabulary within the form. Many of the chawan that I have seen by Nakayama have a warm and rather inviting quality to them, a sense of purpose contained within the simple and well exectued form. His chawan usually show a rather regular lip with slight undulation and the hera cut area that form the transition from the body of the bowl to the kodai area, is cut quickly and with skilled repetition creating a subtlety rounded form with a soft area that sits well in the hand. Nakayama Naoki has skillfully created the balance of blending the old with the new and using his master's works as a foundation to create his own voice that speaks to modern Mino-yaki.

GRASSES

I stumbled across this photo of a rather simple Iga chawan by Banura Shiro the other day and it has played in my mind like a moebius loop. The form is streamlined and has a noble sense, almost elegant with a rich orangey brown surface that has a perpetual wetness to the chawan while the "crumbly" texture of the mouth and transitional area bordering the foot act to frame the streamlined decoration of marsh grass decorated in an almost flat, metallic black with gold highlights. The grasses immediately call to mind the pathos of Momoyama painting and poetry that acted as a foundation for the Rimpa painters and more than a few poets all who strove to create atmosphere and emotion within their brushstrokes be they on clay or paper. The appeal to many of Banura's work is the sense of poetry and lyricism that is captured in such a small amount of clay and just a few, well placed and defined brushstrokes.

"I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey work of the stars." Walt Whitman

 

THE GUY WITH THE THING

I think it is safe to say that when it comes to pottery, I have been around the block and then some. I have worked at a variety of places/facilities, with a number of well known potters and have fired from cone 06 all the way up to cone 12 and with all of that experience I must admit, I thought I had seen just about everything that can, would, should and shouldn't go wrong but recently I was reminded, there is always another surprise just around the corner.  Illustrated is my small kiln which I use to run tests in up to cone 9 and well the contents of the kiln "need some explaining". I will start by saying that the contents was at one time a teabowl fresh out of the bisque, freshly glazed and in the kiln to dry the glaze, the bowl was thrown out of a blend I make myself and have used off and on for over 20 years. I decided to make up my own porcelain grog and that was wedged in to the clay which came out of the bisque perfectly intact at which time, using glaze tongs, I glazed the bowl in my Oribe glaze.

So far the only variable is the grog and as you can see the bowl while in the kiln, which was off but warm just simply self-destructed. Please bear in mind, only moments before this mishap, I used the glaze tongs to dip the bowl which acted and felt just like normal bisque and then this moment when it seems like total molecular cohesion ceased to exist and the bowl just opened up like a flower opening its petals but with a bit less grace and beauty! Obviously I was shocked and am still trying to figure out what exactly happend as two other teabowls from the same firing were glazed and fired with no ill effect though neither had any grog in them which was simply made up of broken up and tumbled porcelain clay fired to bisque. I am open to any and all thoughts or theories but as there is only one variable, that seems to be my focus, that or the guy with the thing had other plans for the bowl. I am only thankful that I decided to warm the bowl to dry the glaze as had I not and this happened during a test firing, I would have lost my kiln, in this particular case, the remedy was just an old shop-vac.

FINDING HIMO

There are a number of things that cat owners are painfully aware of from stuff suddenly gone missing to let's see if I can push this off the edge, the latter of which is particularly hazardous in a house full of pottery. I will start by saying that with Khan there has yet to be any incident and with Jun there was only one where I left a tall teapot in the middle of the floor and then was called away by the telephone, you can imagine the outcome, that being said, cats make far better pottery than photography assistants. I am fortunate to have pots come my way to study, photograph and occasionally sell for collectors but I also have a responsibility to safeguard the pot and send it where ever it is intended in the same condition I encountered it in, in others words, eternal vigilance is the rule of the day. I recently had a large hachi style mizusashi show up by Kumano Kuroemon which I carefully unpacked and then placed on a shelf and in the moment that it took to get my camera, the ribbon thief appeared like a ninja stalking a medieval Japanese castle wall. Khan, like most cats is especially fond of string, rope, ribbon and box cord (himo) and loves the little tufts at the ends which he can be seen going for as I was walking in with camera at the ready. I gently encouraged him out of the room and took the pictures of the mizusashi before packing up the box and packing material and placing them out of the reach of Khan, I can still hear him wailing away outside the door.

CA401

I was reminded about this teabowl bowl recently with the new tests I am carrying out that are using manganese/cobalt glaze applied over the Oribe. In the illustrated teabowl I was using slips with a fair amount of iron, manganese and cobalt under the glaze and it would produce a slightly runny surface with a rich iridescent sheen where the slip was placed. This particular Oribe formula was one of the first ones that I used seriously and had less copper and no iron in the formula which made a less intense and vibrant surface so the use of the slip helped activate and bring the surface to life. I can not remember exactly when this bowl was made but I suspect it was well over a decade ago and was part of a set ordered from a tea practitioner of which this bowl was a spare. I was much more timid with what I would do to a glaze back  that I was testing back then adding tiny increments and alterations as opposed to today when I figure, what the h3ll, it is only ceramic alchemy and since I am using neither plutonium (Pu) or uranium (U), what harm can come of being a bit bolder?

"Who bravely dares must sometimes risk a fall."  Tobias Smollett

FRESH BLUE MONDAY

Illustrated is another slender Turkish blue vase by the late Kato Kenji. This particular vase is just a bit different than others I have posted as it has a slightly quilted form, is banded with each segregated panel having its own individual design which ties together the entire pot. It is easy to get stuck on a singular aspect of a potter's work but if you have seen Kato Kenji's pottery in person, there is a sense of awe regarding the seeming spontaneity, bold flair and speed of his brushwork which he has adapted so well to each and every form that he has used. I should also like to add that in certain respects like the well practiced designs of Hamada Shoji, Kato's brushwork, designs and decoration always have a freshness and brightness to them proving it is hard to get tired of something that comes from the heart and spirit of remarkable potter.

A THOUSAND WORDS

When I was first looked at this detail shot of a large Tsukigata Nahiko tsubo, I was reminded of some of the famous and intricate medieval glassware of Venini or Murano. The complexity of these glaze runs is dramatic and evocative composed of numerous layers and feathering that happen entirely by sheer luck tempered by years of experience to recreate these uncontrollable effects. As the natural ash builds up on the upper portion of the pot in time it becomes molten glass and begins its voyage down the pot picking up traces of feldspar, iron and calcium painting the pathways into mysterious rivers of texture and reflection. I am constantly asked, what exactly is my fascination with the work of Tsukigata and since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll just use this photo in the future.