OLD BOOKS, OLD POT

I guess in the overall scheme of things, this group of old books and old pot aren't really all that old and thinking about it, they aren't really that old in the complete history of 20th century Japanese ceramics. Dating from Showa 56 (1981) the set of books post-date the pot perched up on them that recently arrived by post and was made by Takahashi Rakusai III (1998-1976) though they, the books did make a good momentary platform for an impromptu photo of the chawan. The books have been around for some while and were out as I was working on some info for a friend regarding a recent acquisition he had made but the pot which was expected, more or less only arrived this weekend.    

For some brief context, the chawan was bought off of the rather ubiquitous auction website almost 20 years ago and sat in the box in a closet ever since and while doing some early spring cleaning the teabowl and some other pots were uncovered and several came my way to have a look at by snail mail parcel select. The other pots were of not much interest overall but I thought this Takahashi Rakusai III Shigaraki chawan to be rather nice with a decent firing and a well cut kodai and his seal stamp affixed near the foot. Unlike most of the "Rakusai" bowls encountered which seem to be by Rakusai IV, pots by the third generation show up quite a bit less frequently. Like many of Rakusai III chawan, this is a bit on the small side with a nice thrown rhythm in the clay which makes for a nice surface to add natural ash and hi-iro to during the wood firing process. As I mentioned the kodai is classically cut for the potter and shows a repetitious skill and certainty that leaves no room for hesitation of error. The irony is that as I look through these older ceramic references and playfully fondle this chawan my mind strays to the big question, where would Shigaraki pottery be today if it weren't for Takahashi Rakusai III?

MORE GOLDEN BROWN

I put up a post some while back on Iga potter Atarashi Manabu, part of the younger group working within the Iga tradition while at the same time working to expand the definition of the style. The previous chawan was more modern, experimental to a degree and not what one would think of as conventional, this evocative golden-brown chawan on the other hand is a far more traditional approach to the style and fits the boundaries of chadogu much more easily. The form of this Iga chawan is classically proportioned and fits well in the hands with a comfortable uneven-ness to the lip and a simple yet well conceived kodai and mikomi but the surface is that wonderful amalgam of ferocity, movement and frozen in the moment ash that brings the bowl to life and pleases those senses it directly interacts with.   

Fired at an angle on its side the ash built up on the bowl, turned to liquid in the promethean furnace and ran across the surface at a diagonal ultimately intersecting and concluding in rich, deep brown-green bidoro drips that have dodged the shells that propped up the bowl and have permanently scarred the surface. This is a rather enjoyable chawan with hints of tradition and modernism colliding in a chawan that is filled with character and enthusiasm, a bowl that seems to understand it doesn't have to be taken so seriously to be appreciated, enjoyed and used.

FUJINA-YAKI

I wonder if I would sound cynical if I said that after the initial wave of mingei potters and their offspring and students the movement has become a bit distilled more to the idea than the practice of the original intent and ideals? I am not saying the folk craft movement has ground to a halt but rather much of the idealism and enthusiasm of the drive seems to be less pervasive than it was in the 1960s and 1970s. The initial group find common ground with William Morris and John Ruskin who pioneered the Arts & Crafts movement under the guidance and philosophies of Yanagi Soetsu, Bernard Leach and Hamada Shoji spread these ideals among a wide group of their students and it was a determined group of three of these students that took steering the helm of the movement thru the end of the 20th century. Under the guiding light of Hamada Shinsaku, Shimaoka Tatsuzo and Funaki Kenji, all three Hamada pupils, the basic ideals of mingei pottery made there way into another generation of potters who incorporated the teaching and simple nobility of the movement in to their works, folk craft or otherwise.  As mentioned one of the three biggest proponents of the second wave of mingei potters was Funaki Kenji (1924-1997) who made this simple and honest chawan.      

Illustrated is a chawan made in the mid-1980s by Funaki Kenji, thrown out of a coarse, iron rich clay that was then covered in a white slip. The slip has been very simply combed, a style his father Michitada was also well known for and then the pot was glazed to create lighter areas around the form to show off the decoration. This style of ameyu glaze is another mainstream feature of the signature Fujina-yaki style that Bernard Leach first lauded as classic pottery folk craft , mingei in practice. This chawan is finished off with a simple foot that aids in collecting the glaze and allows the potter to get a firm grip when dipping the piece in glaze as well and the interior of the foot is well excised of clay leaving no fancy or superfluous flourishes as one would expect from this style of pottery. At the end of the day this chawan stands the test of the mingei moniker and though simple and unpretentious it is hard to ignore the "beauty born of use" concept baked in this quiet and capable bowl.

STARTING WITH THE BONES II

Quick update, illustrated is one of a group of teabowls I made trying to get to the simplest form that was practical and had movement and eye interest. The clay I used was a new stoneware I am mixing up with sand mixed in of varying size. Once thrown the forms were slightly altered by minimal faceting or scraping the surfaces to expose the clay and sand with the intention of using my Oribe, Kuro-Oribe or this iron yellow (saffron) glaze over a thin Hagi style white glaze (haku-yu). As you can see in the picture gravity has once again done a good deal of the heavy lifting in decoration this teabowl with the addition of the faceted areas adding a diagonal movement to the surface. Having opened up the clay surface prior to glazing the surface now is uneven and punctuated with areas of pits and highpoints from the protruding sand and grit making for a very textural appearance and feeling in hand. I think that with this group, there are several more to fire in an upcoming firing, I have gotten pretty close to basically starting at the beginning with the advantage of having some amount of experience and technology to add to these elemental forms.         

As a postscript, like most of the glazes I have been working with, each light source creates its own version of the surface and ultimately the bowl.

F+WJH=SG

Funky with a dash of "what just happened" describes this earthy Iga vase using my particular vernacular which is about as timeless as they come. I love pots that display this degree of casualness and there certainly is no lack of bravado or even a hint of symmetry but what else would one expect from Suzuki Goro who has made a career out of doing what just comes naturally along a path that is definitely less traveled. Made out of a coarse Shigaraki (?) clay, the pot was thrown quickly, loosely and with little concern for the weight of the finished object, once thrown the piece had lugs attached to either side of the neck while the piece was still quite wet culminating in an object that has a rather natural quality to it. This pot just exudes function, stability and a liveliness that seem to come along with Goro's pots as expected as the surprise toy in a box of Cracker Jacks. 

Though not necessarily known for his haikaburi (Shigaraki) style pots, I have seen quite a few and it is obvious that this sturdy vase was fired in a great spot in the kiln producing a rather wonderful surface painted by ash and flame. Of particular note is where the ash built up on the right side of the vase, the ash has pooled on the depressed shoulder and then the clay eroded just a bit unleashing the small but noticeable waterfall of molten glass now forever frozen in mid-stream. In the end where ever you fall on the like or dislike wood fired pots it would be difficult to just walk past this vase without giving it a more than thorough once over and thinking it is maybe betwixt and between then and now.

DIVERSITY

I think that it is easy to admit how much diversity of surface and firing there is in any given tradition though I am most specifically talking about the six ancient kilns (Rokkoyo). There are a multitude of variables from type of clay,  time of year, wood sources, weather and firing practices among others that have a direct outcome on the surface that can make classifying a particular piece with a specific tradition a bit trying. I think to a certain degree that is the case with this particular chawan that could, I believe pass for Shigaraki, Echizen, Bizen or Iga though based on the potter who made the piece and what the box says it is clear this piece is Iga and made by Kojima Kenji in the 1990s.    As is obvious in the picture, the form is a typical form used by Kojima Kenji and the surface shows off a rather good firing and skillful use of the kiln but the surface has characteristics that are not always top of mind being a bit drier, more opaque and dense green ash deposits and the rear of the bowl having a distinctly not necessarily Iga appearance. My thought process is that this chawan was in a spot that was initially rather hot during the firing and then cooled somewhat slowly allowing a more crystalline structure to develop leading to this particular surface that both is Iga and not "classically" Iga at the same time. I think it is also safe to say that the diversity within these specific traditions is what has kept them so contemporary and alive over the centuries and has allowed them to continue on in to the 21st century.

TEA JAR

This Ao+ glazed tea jar was part of a group that I made a while back trying to get a feel for how several glazes and visual textures worked especially focusing in on applied medallions around some teabowls, an incense container and this small but useful tea jar for loose tea leaves or just about anything else you may want to use it for. At just about six inches tall, it is easy to deal with, doesn't take up much space and the lid fits rather well and the medallions add a lot of actual and visual texture to the little pot. I was originally going to mount a medallion on the top of the cap lid but thought that was overkill and instead went for a raised area tooled in to the top to seemingly insinuate an additional device like those around the pot. Nothing really complicated here, just a fun usable pot that got me thinking about techniques I haven't used for a long time; it is funny how easy it is to move on from something when there was never any reason to do so other that running toward something new.

MASTER'S SHADOW

Rustic and unpretentious are how I would choose to describe this functional Oni-Iga mizusashi by Ayukai Kogetsu lurking somewhat in the shadows, perhaps a metaphor. Created using the glazes and tutelage of her teacher, Tsukigata Nahiko it is apparent that though this relies heavily on her master's vision there are subtle difference in the surface and most obviously in the form of the mizusashi. Thrown out of a slightly sandy clay and carefully manipulated the addition of some throwing and potter's marks add a sense of motion to the form which is then completed with an array of color and textures from the interaction with the various glazes and the firing process to create this landscape of past and present. In this tea utensil I see elements for classic old Tamba and Seto ware vessels that gives this pot a sense of antiquity which is one of my favorite characteristics in a pot, using the old to make the new. Like many potters who work in their master's shadow Ayukai Kogetsu has navigated that fine line using some of what she learned under Tsukigata Nahiko to move forward and add a dimension or two to what it means to be Oni-Iga moving in to the future.       

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops."  Henry Brooks Adams

DIFFERENT PATH

I find a real attraction and appeal to modern pots that straddle the various time zones of past and present and show a reliance and homage to the classical archetypes from varying traditions and styles. In this classic mizusashi there are key indicators and elements of both the old and new within the tradition of Tamba pottery. Though perhaps not a household name outside of Japan, Ichino Toyoharu of the sprawling Tamba Ichino clan made this straightforward and honest mizusashi with that blend of regional classicism and his personal flair of what is modern Tamba. The form of this mizusashi is somewhat simple but with the addition of gestural lugs and potter's marks around the surface, the form becomes much less stiff and form with an the atmosphere of a casual object that still embraces all of the functional obligations of the tea ceremony. Fired in a nobori-gama wood kiln the surface has received just the right amount of flashing and ash to bring the pot to life without hiding or obscuring the marks and details that animate and articulate the form while creating a focal point on the face of the pot that is hard to ignore.    

Beyond the basic honesty of the clay, there are other features of note on this simple pot from the exacting fit of the lid, the wetness that embraces much of the form and the iridescent flashing on the base of the pot where the piece was set on wadding and fired. I may sound like a broken record but this is yet another example of a classic and simple pot that gives back to the viewer through various obvious and subtle details as well as the totality of the pot itself, I wonder what different path the tea ceremony would have taken if not for simple pots exactly like this mizusashi filled with purpose, sincerity and tradition.    

I am reminded of this quote by John Lyly; "The true measure of life is not length, but honesty" and I think as it pertains to pottery, it just may be that it is the honesty that makes for the long life of any given pot. 

JUST ONE OR TWO MORE

I am not exactly sure how it looks to you but there is just enough clay left under this faceted teabowl to throw just one more bowl. I thought I was at the end when I threw and faceted this stoneware teabowl but soon realized there was enough for another go around on a slightly more conservative bowl minus any faceting. I enjoy making bowls this way using what is left over from a mound of clay that was originally intended for a group of more or less the same pots, in this case the same group of lids, about 10" across that I had mentioned in a previous post now tooled, bisque, glazed and fired. This particular teabowl was thrown on the thick side and then faceted to create a sharp, visually defining band around the bottom third of the bowl which is both an aesthetic and design decision as the glaze pools around these raised areas. I have also gotten the foot to approximately where it needed to be but will fine tune it to have a bit more taper and flair when it gets to that stage. Once cut off the mound, I coned up the remaining clay and immediately threw a simple, mostly straight sided bowl that I plan on using for testing down the road, it may not have looked like it but there was plenty of clay to go around.