AUSTERE

Stark, solitary and contemplative come to mid as I look at this rather nice Bizen vase on display with a seasonal Ume branch sent from a friend. I like the austerity of the setting and the wabi-sabi feel to the vase completed through its use. This Bizen vase was made by Isezaki Kyo the forth son and student of the late Isezaki Mitsuru, he also studied under Shibaoka Kouichi (1988-1993). I received three photos of this vase in use and choose this particular one because I immediately responded to the variety of decoration created during the firing from the subtle botamochi areas to the soft coloration caused by the ash during the wood firing please there is this wonderful collaboration of simplicity of setting, vessel and branch. I enjoy the sparse nature of the vase, arrangement and image and as we brace for yet more snow here it is a reminder that our spring is hopefully not so distant.

When the spring has come

First flowering at my dwelling is

The plum blossom

In solitude, will gaze on it

And spend the day in springtime!        Yamonoue (no) Okura (660 - 733)

TWO FOR ONE

Okay, let me explain, when I had this chawan to photograph, I took three different styles of pictures, using tungsten lighting, all natural daylight and direct sunlight. When I was deciding to post a photo of this Nakayama Naoki Ki-Seto chawan I went back and forth between the first two styles and in the end decided on this composite photo to show just how entirely different this bowl looks depending on the light source. What I can tell you, irrespective of the lighting is that this chawan is the perfect blend of crusty ash built up on the face and a wet and almost luscious pale yellow-green glaze that shows off the clay and form to its fullest. 

As you can clearly see in the picture, this chawan has that distinctive Arakawa Toyozo influenced form whom Nakayama studied with and is a classic example of the infused Momoyama meets modern mindset that prevails within the Mino traditions to this day. In addition to the strong form and provocative surface there is a myriad of "special" effects caused from ash freely moving about the kiln that all conspire to create a miniature universe within the chawan all coalescing in the area of the mikomi, tea pool, details and the whole of the object all on display to please both the eye and the hand. At the end of the day I am continually pleased by the variations of appearance that manifest at differing times of day and location that in the end make me feel like the owner received two chawan for the price of one and that I suspect is quite a bargain. 

"The bargain is not a bargain, or what was not a bargain is a bargain, just as you please." Titus Maccius Plautus (Sounds a bit like Shakespeare, don't you think?)

ANTIQUITY ORIENTED

Illustrated is a composite image of a Shigaraki mimitsuki hanaire by Minagawa Takashi made clearly in a traditional style. This vase has a noble and antique sense to the form and bares every characteristic of a rather good firing with its shinzen style surface. The proportions and marks are well considered and are further accentuated by the wood firing. Though on occasion Minagawa Takashi relies on a variety of texture, much of his work is simple in form and execution with simple, defining marks that create strong and idiosyncratic works with an eye to work that is a balance of intersecting aesthetics; views of the tea master (chajin), potter (sakuhin) and the user, especially for tea and flower arrangement. Though Minagawa worked in a variety of styles and traditions, he is best known for his wood fired, Shigaraki pottery with its adherence to Momoyama and early Edo archetypes many examples with extraordinary surfaces that is focused on a singular purpose, tea ceremony.

BAGELS & ORIBE

It has been a rather snowy winter here and now the news people are pitching another gloom and doom snow and ice storm headed our way so we acted on that news. We headed out for supplies yesterday which included a trip to the local bakery and stocked up on rye bread, a large baguette, a couple of raspberry sticks and some bagels seen here just prior to being toasted. As you can see here it would seem that bagels and Oribe seem to go well together, who knew? The bagel composed of flour, salt, water and yeast sits comfortably on the platter composed of stoneware, slips and Oribe and clear glaze both using few elements to go along way. This square Oribe style plate was an extra from a set that I made and it made its way into our kitchen shortly thereafter and has been host to everything from dumplings and smoked salmon to cookies and bagels. it would appear that Oribe is non-discriminatory and is welcoming to what any one may throws at it, I wonder how it would fare with chili-dogs and onion rings?

EC vs WC

This haikaburi, Shigaraki style chawan used to belong to a good friend of mine before he packed his bags and moved cross country. I had admired the bowl while he owned it and when he decided to part with it, it ended up on my desk at some point and sat for this impromptu portrait in all natural lighting that streams in a big double window. made by Suzuki Goro this chawan is a slight diversion from his wide array of glazed works but there are a number of unglazed haikaburi pots in his arsenal of surfaces. Thrown and slightly manipulated out of what appears to be a Shigaraki clay, the pot face has a nice blend of ash and fumed wetness that has that feudal, old feeling to it while somehow still being a modern chawan. As mentioned Suzuki Goro has shown some restraint in his throwing and overall manipulation of this bowl making for a solid and anywhere in time classic that is more than welcome to hang out on my desk anytime it feels so inclined.

PERSONAL PREFERENCE

I think it is rather safe to say that when you think of a Mino potter like Ando Hidetake the very first thing that springs to mind is Shino and though it may be in any variation of that style it is Shino none the less. That being said, Ando is in fact quite well known for a number of other Mino traditional surfaces like Seto-Guro, Ki-Seto and Oribe but there is a lesser known style which is perhaps my personal preference, Ko-Mino ware. At first glance it is looks as if it could be categorized as Ki-Seto but it is an early style of surface that predate Ki-Seto and is something of an Ando specialization and these are the landscapes that lure me in. 

I choose this detail shot to make the case why I prefer this glaze style, this kinuta-hanaire by Ando Hidetake has a solid and purposeful form, direct mentori facets and some wonderful effects from having been wood fired. The picture captures the shoulder of the form with the facets in clear view, the slope of the area has collected up a vivid sheet of natural wood ash where areas of glassy ash peer through the crust like gemstones scattered among a stone matrix. In some cases the ash in the base glaze boil up like some bubbles, fighting gravity and adding to the exotic visual of what could have been just a simple vase. I am reminded of the expression, from an old poem, "little drops of water become a mighty ocean" but in this case it is these small, fine details that create a mighty pot and perhaps in doing so it is easy to see why I or any other viewer might prefer such a surface and such a vase.

WOVEN

I first used this design for a set of commissioned dinnerware quite a few years back. This decoration is simple, elemental and as old as pottery itself and was intended to go with a large natural wood table with a rich defined wood grain and an almost primitive appeal. Somewhere among the myriad of photos and images I have a picture of the table and dinnerware all set out and admittedly the wood and clay work rather well together. This platter has inherited that decoration of quick sgraffito through a black slip to expose the rich terra cotta underneath and create a continuous woven patter that literally falls off the rim of the piece. As you can see in the picture, I have very casually and spontaneously carved the lines making up the pattern though in the past I have used a straight edge to make an exactingly precise design but I far prefer this as happened appearance. I have tried to remember where  I first saw this decoration, perhaps an old pot or piece of ikat dyed cloth but it is safe to say that this patterning was around long before I made use of it and will likely be around long, long after as well.

TANG STYLINGS

My interest in Tang pottery goes all the way back to my college days where I took an intro art class, Introduction to Chinese Pottery. Luckily I was within driving distance of the BMFA and the Met and was able to see lots of wonderful examples of Chinese pottery but early on the Tang pieces fascinated me most. Over the years I have been fortunate to see and even handle some Tang pieces including at the Cleveland Museum of Art and I am always profoundly impacted at the wonderful articulation of clay, form and surface that just gives off a rather otherworldly quality. 

Fast forward to my time studying modern Japanese ceramics and there are a number of potters working in this Tang idiom and sancai ware from the internationally known Kato Takuo and his son Kato Kobei VII to less known potters, at least in the West like the maker of this pot, Yoshida Shinsai. This covered mizusashi form was just hanging out on the shelf and taking in the sun so I took the opportunity to photograph the piece in situ in some of its reflective glory. Consisting of a rich, deep green, amber hues and a pale, almost clear yellow the coloration of this pot is quite well balanced and instead of distracting from the overall grace of the form it enhances it to what I consider to be its fullest potential. This utsushi-mono style mizusashi is a rather spot on copy of a tang covered form right down to the incised lines that ring the surface further adding to the movement and interest of the piece. Looking at this modern interpretation of a classic form I can't help but feel a small amount of the ancient presence that instill a sense of awe and reverence that Tang pots are so great at communicating.

NORTHERN KUMANO

I recently received this picture from a collector I know slightly to the north of me. This rugged chawan has a strong, powerful form, articulated by dramatic throwing marks and is covered in a glacial coating of luminescent glass around the pot. Obviously by Kumano Kuroemon this chawan is both typical and not by the potter, I say that because every time you think you have a handle on what he makes something else pops up and this pot is just that example. One feature that is not commonly seen is that there is a large area of very thick glass that has cascaded down the side (not seen in this photo) that runs all the way down to the kodai looking to be over a quarter of an inch thick and as we move on to the interior there is a thick, deep reservoir around the bowls interior of a crisper, green, emerald like glass where the ash has pooled at an angle showing the precise position of the bowl inside the kiln. Last but not least is the myriad of rivulets of brown, ashy iron that are making their way down the interior back wall of the chawan adding a vivid, almost tortoise shell style pattern over the Kuma-Shino glaze. Like many potters, most of Kumano's chawan are unique but there is always something new to see in his work, from pot to pot and firing to firing and if this doesn't keep you interested and wanting to see more, I am just not sure what would.

SCRAP PAPER

Back when I was working at Cleveland State (CSU) I used to carry a backpack with all of my essentials since I was gone from before 7am to after 6pm every day and in my pack I had this book pouch (six by eight inches) that I would stuff with scrap paper pieces I found along the way to sketch on while on the train to and from home or at the studio as ideas would come to mind. I recently found the pouch tucked away in a box in the studio and it still had hundreds of quickly rendered sketched ideas, some used and some long forgotten just like this one. 

This cup/ mug design idea is on the reverse of an advertising card for a restaurant in downtown Cleveland and shows a group of "landscapemen" decorated around the surface entitled, Sermon on the Mug. I vaguely remember using this idea on some mugs in both tebori style, carved through black slip as well as black and white slip trailed. Many of these designs worked in a variety of styles and some were just momentary or singular attempts and others I find myself using to this day but finding the sketches was an interesting reminder of where some ideas sprung from. I continue to use the "landscapeman" design on mostly terra cotta pots and credit all the time that needed passing as I was riding the rails, making my way to and from the CSU studio, I think it was time well spent.