THE DETAILS

I have be fortunate to see and handle a lot of chawan (and other pots) by Tsukigata Nahiko over the years and to see even more on the internet and in various publications and from those experiences I have been able to take away a number of hard and fast rules. One of those "lessons" is that it does not seem to matter whether a pieces is Oni-Shino, some Shino variant, Oni-Hagi, Kohiki, Ki-Seto, Seto-Guro, etc, the vast majority of these pieces all have fairly round kodai, tooled round and finished round, finding a kodai that doesn't fit this formula is a bit like finding a four leaf clover, not impossible but perhaps best described as unusual.       

Illustrated is the base of a chawan that is in itself a bit unusual, the form of the bowl is kutsu-gata, also not round(ish) and as you can see, the kodai is a bit ovoid and though not easy to orient in this photo, in some respects looks a bit like a seated Daruma, narrower at the top and wider at the base. The wonderful tsuchi-aji and wad shadows are highlighted inside the depression where the foot was excised and is now surrounded by a wet, gray ash from the wood firing process, ash runs toward the footring as gravity and promethean fire has added to the iron and Shino glazes Tsukigata used prior to firing. Together with the well cut foot, running ash and glazes the potter has added more decoration to the bowl leaving his fingerprints cemented into the surface of the pot where he held the bowl while he was glazing it.       

I realize pointing out the anomaly of the way the foot was cut and addressed seems a small, almost insignificant detail but my personal belief is that the details make the pot, these same details authenticate the pot and these details are exactly why a potter builds a reputation over sometimes decades and decades of work. In the end, a potter like Tsukigata Nahiko is sought after because collectors flock to those details, no matter how small and when you add them all together and manage to fit them all on one small bowl it can be magic.

KOFUKI

I would be hard pressed to think that if you like kohiki style pottery that the work of Takahashi Samon wouldn't be front and center on a want list. Takahashi has dedicated his career to working with a number of different slip creating these cracked, dessicated and highly textural backdrop over which a semi-translucent or clear-ish glaze is used to either highlight or soften the narrative used on three dimensional forms.       

This kofuki style guinomi is a classic form and surface used by Takahashi Samon where the near perfect proportions bely the size presenting itself as a chawan in miniature which makes the piece all the more engaging. The hints of beige, cream, white, grey and black are all softened a bit by the glaze used which has large swaths of mirco-bubbles trapped presenting a slightly hazy appearance. This kofuki guinomi is very typical of Takahashi Samon's work and if you like "slipware", it doesn't matter what you call it, kofuki or kohiki, this potter has added decades worth of additions to a tradition that stems from ancient Korea to modern day Japan.

QUICK TRIP, QUICK POST

Last Weds. we made our way on a quick trip to Syracuse, to Mixed Methods Gallery to drop off a group of new snowberry and plum blossom terra cotta pots to compliment this display of mostly carved tebori pieces, a few B&W pieces and one lone abstrakt resist oval baker. The goal for gallery and this potter was to get work there prior to black Friday and hopefully entice those who are shopping locally at smaller businesses. I realize this is a quick post about a quick trip but between shopping for Thanksgiving day supplies, a bottle of wine, and other misc. errands, time has passed quickly today. One and all, have a Happy Thanksgiving Day if you are so inclined.

TRIREME

I find it rather fascinating that while looking at objects, we all bring in varying experiences to what we see or are reminded of in a disparate number of interpretations. To that end, when I first saw in this long, noble covered serving piece, all I could think of was how it reminded me of the ancient Greek trireme, the ancient vessels of the Peloponnesian Wars spanning decades, the Odyssey, Ulysses and other tales of a time of heroes. This wonderful detail shot is just one end of a wood fired oval serving piece made of porcelain by Bruce Cochrane. Though I am unsure of his inspiration and motivation, I am instantly transported to my youth and reading about the heroic tales of the ancient Greeks and the wars between the Athenaean and Spartan states vying for power, dominance over the region.      

This long form is sandwiched between these iconic ends which look like the fore and aft terminations of some vessel out of history, slicing through the seas in perpetual movement. This end is clearly the recepient of lots of ash which has melted and created a beautiful blue-grey surface that shines and calls out for attention, a bit like the sirens of the Ulysses tale making for a perfect handle or simple decoration that adds depth and purpose to the enlongated, altered dish. It is funny what we see in a pot, what reminds me of an ancient trireme may end up looking like something entirely different to the next person who comes along.

OLD & NEW

When I first saw this kohiki chawan all I could think of is that it just exudes a sense of antiquity. The form is simple, casual and certainly not fussed over in the least as if it just sprung to life from off a hump of clay on a potter's wheel. It is easy to see shades of much older pottery in this bowl especially from various Korean potteries from centuries before this bowl was even thrown. Thrown out of a gritty, slightly sandy clay, once thrown and tooled the body was covered over in a white ship which as it dried and fired cracked and fissured creating a wonderful soft texture under this yellow amber ash glaze (ame-haiyu). The proprotions of the bowl to foot work nearly perfectly creating a foot that acts as a stable and study pedestal to a broad and flaring form that despite its termination appears to continue to reach out beyond its actualk circumferance.    

In case you didn't recognize the potter, this ash glazed kohiki chawan was made by Kyoto potter, Kimura Morinobu. Spending much of his life pursuing ash and iron as the main constituents of his glazes. Though this may or may not be common knowledge, ash varries trememdously from batch to batch, tree to tree and bush to bush and though he would burn these materials himself, there is a great amount of diversity between new batches of new glazes. I have seen this style glaze a number of times and this one has more depth and activity that my previous encounters though I can't quite say why, using natural materials adds that small degree of serendipity to each and every firing and pot. However this pot came to be it would seem that the potter, clay, glaze and firing all worked in simpatico creating a near perfect relationship between the old and new.

SWING

Kishimoto kennin is a rather engaging and intriguing potter in my opnion, on any given day his work can swing from strictly traditional, to contempary to almost abstract and innovative and this is only his Iga pots that I am talking about. When you add in his kannyu seiji, celadon pieces, Kennin's diverse path has had him explore and master a wide variety of styles within the Mino tradition, wood firing and ceramics inspired from across the sea on the Asian continent. 

This particular Iga hanaire is a combination of tradition with a hint of contemporary styling creating a broad, powerful and sturdy form for a purpose rooted in untility. The use of traditional Iga style paddled decoration with the nobility of added lugs washed over by ash and a deep fire luster, this vase exceed expectations and the norms and though signed, it has a that rather spot on Kishimoto Kennin identity and presence, brought to a point where potter has refreshed the idea of exactly what is a classical form.

ANOTHER BLUE MONDAY

Illustrated for another blue Monday is a soda blue glazed neriage teabowl from a few firings back. I was pleased by the way the soda blue and black and white body work together and think this expands the use of this glaze just a bit more. Though I will likely try this glaze over a more complex and diffuse neriage, I really far prefer the bold, simple pattern as it stands out quite well and the balance between the light and dark is appealing to me anyway.

CHA-TSUBO

I took this quick, impromptu picture a short while back of this little pot by Tamba potter Nishibata Daibi (1976-2010). Marked "cha-tsubo" (tea jar) on the box, this little chaire like piece clearly shows a number of cues from his father's work, Nishibata Tadashi. Thrown out of a coarse iron clay, the pot was quickly faceted opening a wonderful texture in the clay before it was later glazed showing off that classic Nishibata/ Nishihata style. Though small in stature, the tea jar shows off a rather sturdy presence and instead of an ivory lid it is finished off in a ceramic lid, clearly glazed in white to give the illusion of the normal chaire lid. 

Perhaps my favorite feature beyond the purposeful faceting is that wonderful horizontal texture that moves vertically up the form showing through some of the glaze surface until it just disappears under the opaque white at the very top and shoulder. This is not a very complex pot but there are details and subtleties that bring life to this little gem adding to the mystique and appeal of a potter who had many more pots to make within a tradition his contributions were made all the better for.

OLD HAUNTS

Yesterday was a road trip day, down to Southern Conneticut to drop off pots at Wesleyan potters, have a lunch in a familiar spot, go to a favorite old spirits shop and of course, stop at Meriano's Bakery. Going back down to the shoreline is always a nice trek and yesterday we had pretty good weater with only a few minutes of overcast and cloudy skies all day. It only took about an hour to inventory and drop off my pots so by 11am, we headed further south visting some old haunts, places we would frequent more often than I should mention when we lived in Guilford, CT. Illustrated is a grouping of canoli that came from Meriano's on a snowberry tray made here at Albedo 3 Studio. Upon closer inspection we realized we should have bought more pastries, there is plenty of room left to use if you can see any of the squared platter through the sweet goodness! 

Eclairs and canoli by Meriano's, pottery made here at Albedo 3 Studio.

TWIST

Illustrated is a modern twist on a rather old tradition, this Bizen henko was made by Kimura Gyokushu XVII and though it relies on centuries of prior work and firing it carves out its own niche out among a large field of contenders. Aided by the flashed fire pattern and the dramatic form, this henko appears to be in forward motion but it rests upon a sturdy base and is perfect for heavy use or its visual appeal on a shelf or desk. The way the flame licked the form on either side has created bands of color that work well with the ash that has coated much of the mouth, top and shoulders terminating in cascading runs of a matt, tan ash down the front and back of the pot. In the sunlight the subtle, combed texture created when the pot was made stands out and further adds to the overall Bizen aesthetic suplimenting the illusion of movement even more. I think that the velocity of the firing process and nunaces considered by Gyokushu have worked quite well to create a rather animated henko that in use or not will always seem like it is on the move and perhaps just one step ahead of the viewer.

You can see more of this Bizenhenko over on my Trocadero marketplace;

https://www.trocadero.com/stores/albedo3studio/items/1498055/ROBUST-BIZEN-HENKO-BY-KIMURA-GYOKUSHU-XVII