KO-TSUBO III

Over the years I have seen a number of utsushimono of this particular form, perhaps the most notable by Tsujimura Shiro though this particular Iga ko-tsubo is by Imura Mitsuo. Small in stature and about the same dimensions tall as it is wide, this rough and tumble Iga ko-tsubo must have been fired in the perfect place in the kiln as the surface is a wonderful story of process and determination painting a rustic landscape that is what wood firing is all about. Beyond the wonderful shape and crisp delineation between body and shoulder it is the mouth that captivates ones attention all sharp, craggy and dog-eared resembling a mountain chain well off in the distance but able to fit in the palm of your hand. Though barely the size of a chawan, it is filled with character from its offset posture and vivid palette of ash coloration but it is the strength that you can't help noticing first and foremost that far exceeds its scale.

BAKED IN

I have written about the maker of this Shigaraki mizusashi, Ota Minoru on my blog before. I am intrigued by how he uses and works clay and how he interprets older forms with a unique and naïve style. As with this mizusashi, his pots have a casual, quirky and often wonky appearance made of clay with lots of feldspar which punctuates the pot like stars in the sky under the wood fired surfaces adding ash and hi-iro to the pot like a painter adding dabs and fields of color to his canvas. Beyond the feldspar and ash, this mizusashi is well articulated in marks from the potter both horizontally and vertically adding movement and dimension to the form, marks that are spontaneous and fierce like the fire that it had to survive. The posture and attitude of the piece exudes confidence and strength collected over years of working in clay and infusing it into each pot made. I have to admit, I have a fondness for pots that combine spontaneity, naiveté and honesty all in one package and this Ota mizusashi clearly has all those attributes and character all baked in.

PROTOTYPE REVISITED

Though it took some time to get this katakuchi prototype fired, illustrated is the final product. This thrown and altered piece was made a while back to show a customer who approved the design as soon as it was glaze fired and now the group of pieces are all made and bisque and waiting to be glazed and fired. As you can see this piece was glazed in a Kuro-Oribe style glaze that clearly shows the marks and texture on the clay surface from when the pot was thrown and altered where subtle faceted plans appear activating the pot along with the movement of the glaze. There are accents of rich blue-black on the spout and around the mouth of the form along with patches on the sides of this triangular pot. All in all the customer and I are happy with the results and now I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can get six pieces to match more or less with out any glaring inconsistencies out of the glaze firing.

HARMONIOUS CONNECTION

Many times when I am looking at tokkuri and guinomi pairing I think to myself that this was really a marriage of convenience and not really of a more harmonious connection. The attached photo(s) of yet another exceptional pairing of Kuro-Bizen tokkuri and guinomi by Oiwa Tomoyuki were very considerately assembled by a European collector in which the pieces are not only well matched but have the look of having been fired at the same time in the same kiln in near proximity to each other. On the rear of each piece is a near perfect match of color, running ash and texture shimmering in just the right amount of wetness while the faces are coated in a healthy coating of ash with hints of motion moving horizontally across the forms. The tapering vertical attitude and distinct posture of both tokkuri and guinomi creates that harmonious connection while the proportions create an ideal set where characteristics and character are simpatico. For two objects brought together under the skillful attention of a collector with just the right amount of input from the gallery owner and let's not forget the potter render an equation that is defined by far more than happenstance or convenience ending in an ideal pairing. 

WHAT'S OLD IS NEW

This wide shouldered jar is a classic utsushi-mono of a medieval Ko-Shigaraki tsubo made centuries ago but what's old (in appearance) is new in creation. made by Tani Seiuemon back in the mid-1990s, this tsubo exhibits all the classic and traditional characteristics of much older pottery with just the right amount of the potter's personal touch to show in the pot. The broad shoulders and animated form show off the right amount of slump caused by the intense wood firing of the original archetype which are skillfully mimicked in this pot to strike a rather natural and antiquated appearance. As mentioned in previous posts, Tani started off studying old Shigaraki pottery before ever making pots and when he did so, he brought his knowledge of all the aesthetics and forms that had preceded and infused it in to his works leaving quite a number of utsushi-mono, copies among his body of work. I have to admit that I really enjoy the naïve and honest qualities that surround this pot; carefully and skillfully created and manipulated to look quite casual and as much a result of the ferocity of the kiln rather than the hands of the potter.

ODDS & ENDS

Today was truly an odds and ends kind of day in the studio starting with getting everything cleaned up and put away after a recent glaze session and kiln firing. Once that was completed, I took the time to pack up several small commissions which didn't take a lot of time but I wanted out of the way. After this and after a quick lunch came the beginning of my throwing day which started with a group of porcelain test cups followed by a number of stoneware test cups and a group of some orders/ commissions which included some 14" serving bowls and a couple of serving plates as well. The day in the studio ended with me decorating up two stoneware teabowls that are orders from half way around the world. I decorated the first one as seen here and have decided to hold the back up just as thrown until the other is bisque, glazed and fired. Always a good idea to have a spare just in case an asteroid or some other calamity hits the studio.

SEMI-LINEAR

Illustrated is another Bizen chawan by Sakikabara Keishi though in this case it is left more or less as it was thrown with the exception of the foot. This Kuro-Bizen style chawan shows some small amount of manipulation creating a form both large and well suited to the hands showing off a rich lustrous surface and a fitting but slightly obtuse kodai. Despite the initial display of simplicity, there is a complex arrangement of texture to the clay and all natural surface with hints of spatula work and some other marks rendered by the potter and a well fired surface of rich diversity. As is abundantly clear, Sakikabara studied with Isezaki Jun in the late 70s and took away well learned lessons as to how best to make use of clay, surface and firing in which he crafted his own unique voice of modern day Bizen. Perhaps the biggest take away from this chawan is a well conceived blend of the old and new while moving in a semi-linear fashion within the Bizen tradition, using the best of both worlds. By putting forward a style influenced by time and archetypes, old and modern Sakikabara Keishi clearly has something new to say and that is locked deep inside a chawan just like this one.     

WELLSPRING

When someone casually mentions the Mino potter, Kato Toyohisa my mind immediately runs a slideshow of pictures of pots with thick, curdled Shino glazes, semi-iridescent Oribe and forms and pieces that are fairly modern in their orientation. This particular large and bold Shino vase has some of those elements infused into its bones and DNA but there are classic, traditional fundamentals at work here which clearly show where the potter and his pots drawn from, that wellspring that is Momoyama and old pottery. The form is encased in a pure white feldspar Shino that is rich in its opacity with hints, bold areas and flashes of iron red bleeding through like brush strokes on an abstract painting's canvas. There is a profusion of strength and nobility in the form and posture of this pot and I hope this short video slideshow captures some of the features that make this a rather alluring pot in person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngDdCckp444&ab_channel=CABatA3S

WAY BACK WEDNESDAY

I am still making some effort to convert old 35mm slides to digital images with some coming out better than others. This large, Albany slip glazed covered jar was in a recent batch made and fired in the last firing I ever did at Cleveland State University. Thrown loosely, well loosely for me that is, while it was firming up a bit I pulled it to one side to offset the symmetry of the piece. Once bisque the pot was glazed in an Albany slip glaze with a black overglazed sprayed across the surface and swiped diagonally around the piece. I decided to pull this out for way back Wednesday as it clearly defines a short moment in time a really long time ago where everything was an experiment and the less controlled the better. The times sure have changed where now I try to have a group of pots in every kiln that I am 99% certain they will come out as I expect* and control is more or less a good thing though admittedly something of an illusion.  

(*I am reminded of the boxing adage, "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face in that every potter thinks they know what to expect until they open the kiln.)

HALLOWEEN KORO

It might just be me but I thought this quirky Ki-Seto koro was perfect for a Halloween post. As soon as I first saw this piece I was struck by the interaction of glaze and texture and the outside of the box thinking regarding the cool form and exaggerated lid. This Ki-Seto koro was made by Toki native, Kato Mitsuhide who has exhibited routinely in the region and won several awards along the way as well as having pieces collected for permanent collection. The use of this particular Ki-Seto works hand in glove with this articulated, textural form where it runs for thick to thin and from dryish to wet and works to absolute perfection on the organic looking lid. I could say there are just tons of things that this wonderful pot reminds me of, but that would be a long list and take some time, let it suffice to say that I think it is perfect for Halloween, or any other day for that matter. No matter how many times that I look at this piece it constantly conjures up some emotion or another and it brings a slight smile to my face each and every time. Happy Halloween!  

FWIW I have put up a short Instagram video of this koro, perfect for Halloween; https://www.instagram.com/albedo3studio/