FIRST THINGS FIRST

I have been thinking about making a style of vase that I am rather fond of, it springs from Iga-yaki as well as those Mino-Iga pots. It has been quite some time since I have made this style of vase and I thought this form should work well with the newest version of my Oribe. The first few attempts didn't really work out as well as I was hoping and it took some thought as to why. Having what I thought was a better way to go about things, I set about doing first things first. I wedged up some clay and once centered, I first threw what would be the upper, neck/mouth portion of the vase and cut it off the hump; then with the remaining clay, I threw the base of the pot. Once thrown, I paddled the base to create a vivid texture and then attached the neck. Once together, I set about further distorting the body and the mouth, followed by the addition of two thick ring lugs. Illustrated is a pair of stoneware vases, about 12"  and 15" tall, both freshly cut off the wheel-head. I have a few more things to do to each once they stiffen up a bit, but I am nearly finished. I like doing as much of the work as possible while the pot is still wet and fresh, a technique I first saw during a demo by Ron Meyers. It forces a certain spontaneity and keeps the pieces from being over worked, lest things get well out of hand.

A PITCHER IS WORTH 1000 WORDS

At just under 20 inches tall, it is an imposing pitcher, yet in the hand, one can easily imagine it filled to the brim and still easy to use and pour. Glazed in shino and ash, it has a simple, understated warmth and comforting quality that comes from making lots of pots and even more pitchers. Trained at the Leach Pottery, Bill Klock made this pitcher based on his love for old medieval English pots and pots from the East. The pot was thrown with function, durability and aesthetics all in mind and the cylindrical body is finished with a hardy and sturdy spout and a well pulled and applied handle. In its austerity and simplicity, it is quiet and noble yet it is the type of pot, like a good book or a favorite coat, that has companionship and a long term relationship at its core.

Take a moment and enjoy watching a video of Bill pulling a handle and finishing off a jug made at Plattsburgh State University in the ceramic department back in 1992/93.

KARATSU-KODAI

To my eye, this is no ordinary kodai. Though simple, it has a studied complexity that harkens back to Ko-Karatsu style pottery; the chirimen-kodai, crinkled silk crepe texture, immediately identifies the pot as Karatsu ware, a common trait among southern works(Kyushu-mono). The classic and timeless kodai is crisp and sharply cut, the texture standing out from within the kodai creating a wonderful visual landscaped microcosm. The foot-ring bares the marks of the cut-off cord, that separates the bowl from the wheel head, adding to the swift and spontaneous nature in which the kodai was addressed. This foot was cut by Tanaka Sajiro (b.1937), a master of Karatsu-yaki whose works show a life dedicated to the study of this regional pottery. Tanaka is a man of many talents having studied Zen Buddhism, chanoyu, ikebana, calligraphy, poetry and of course pottery making. Having excavated Ko-Karatsu kiln sites, he studied the manner of their manufacture and firing, in this way, started on the path to making Karatsu-yaki. There are few potters as adept and thoughtful in their creation of Karatsu ware as Tanaka and his kodai are among the very finest.

TETSU-GUCHI

Illustrated is a detail from a large iron and temmoku glazed vase that was from my last firing.  What I like most about this particular glaze is that it manifests differing characteristics in texture depending on thickness and varying angles and edges of a pot. Along the interior and exterior of the neck, the glaze has created a myriad of partridge feather style streaks while where it has pooled on the mouth and ridge just below, it creates wonderful little whirlpools of texture. The body of the vase has streaking similar to the neck but is punctuated at intervals with temmoku spots showing through the iron glaze creating its own unique pattern, both ring lugs have fired to a reddish hue with the bulk of the glaze running off them creating cascades down either side under the appendages. Having a real fondness for rather runny glazes, I have yet to see two pieces come out exactly the same and am reasonably sure that I won't any time soon.

SUMI-TOKKURI

Illustrated is a shikishi by Ningen Kokuho, Kato Kozo of a delightful Shino tokkuri with a mountain, grasses and plover design. This tokkuri, rendered in soft washes of ink may have been a representational study of one of his works or just a quick and spontaneous drawing of a piece from his mind's eye. Either way, it captures the essential beauty of Momoyama influenced, modern Shino at its very core.

A HISTORY REVEALED

 

I have always been interested in the history of the pots that I admire and study, that is to say, the historical context of how they came in to being, the creative spirit and the times that drives the potter. I am also fascinated by the history, the path the pot takes from its inception to the present day and with a number of pots, the provenance is well documented while other times, almost nothing is known about how it got to this moment in time. Over the years I have tried to play pottery detective and find out as much as I could about specific pots. From time to time, I would piece together provenance with catalogues that would arrive and shed some light on various aspects of the piece. Given the sheer number of pots an average potter creates, I am constantly surprised at the number of pieces that I have been able to identify through inclusion in both books and catalogues.

I guess I should get to the point and mention that about two months ago, I came in contact with a large and bold faceted vase by Shigaraki veteran, Kohyama Yasuhisa. As soon as I saw the piece, I had this sense that it was special and took the opportunity to email Kohyama-san to ask about the piece. A couple of days later, I received a response from Nakamoto Wakae, Kohyama's assistant detailing what sensei had remembered about the piece. He knew it was from the early 1970's but didn't have any additional info at that time. Now, two months later, I receive another email with a bit more information regarding the vase and a very important photo. The photo shows Kohyama-san and celebrated calligrapher, Toko Shinoda (b. 1913) who is this year celebrating her 100th birthday, in the back corner of the photo the large mentori-hanaire is shown. This picture is from the 1973 Tokyo Mitsukoshi exhibit in which a number famous figures attended his show; including Shinoda, Hamada Shoji and Kato Tokuro. Kohyama-san had, prior to this exhibit worked with Toko Shinoda in helping her produce a large architectural mural and in turn, she came to see his works from the first anagama built and fired in the Shigaraki Valley since the middle ages.

About the pot, at over 17" tall, the massive octagonal pot has a rather dramatic presence and commands its space with a distinctly positive authority. The rough and coarse surface is littered with feldspar bits melting out of the clay while the playful blend of fire color and various ash coatings articulate the pot and define the myriad of marks created during the faceting process. The mouth terminates in the trademark style of Kohyama-san and the lip is defined by a direct and spontaneous cut that since this pot was made, has been perfected over countless pieces. On the shoulder of the pot, there is a resisted shadow of clay color (botamochi), surrounded by ash from where a small round pot, a guinomi possibly, was fired to make best use of the limited space in the anagama kiln. I can not thank Kohyama-san enough for sending along the picture and information as it helps put the piece into context. I find it extremely satisfying to be able to reveal the history of some of these pieces but I am constantly aware that doing so has little to do with just dedicated footwork, is as often times absolute serendipity as it is anything else.

(Photo by Takeshi Fujimori courtesy of Kohyama Yasuhisa)

COPPER EFFECTS

In my most recent glaze firing, the aim was to test out my latest Oribe glaze that is not based on the extinct lepidolite. I was able to make up 7000 gr. and able to glaze pots over 16" tall without the machinations necessary with the lepidolite version. The latest version has copper carbonate, a small amount of well milled black copper oxide and an equal amount of red iron to temper the glaze a bit. Unlike the lepidolite version, which has wonderful halo like effects, iridescence and rich pooling, the latest version has a very interesting if unpredictable pooling of a blue-green moss like effect where the pot is flat or where the glaze has built up to an increased thickness. What this effect does to the table is its ability to bring various marks and artifice to life and helps articulate the pot. Illustrated is the flange and lid of an Oribe style jar with impressed decorations around the pot. The high points and various marks are highlighted by the blue-green texture while the high points remain green. I think it adds a visual interest to the pot, though unintended and not totally controllable, it is welcome none the less.

More pictures of this jar can be seen on my Trocadero market place;

http://www.trocadero.com/stores/albedo3studio/items/1198793/item1198793store.html

 

A NEW ORIBE

I fired off the kiln last Friday with a group of pots glazed up in my newest Oribe glaze. Along with the Oribe pieces were a number of iron red and temmoku pots and a few other combinations. The firing went well, with a single mishap from a too runny pot, but when you work with runny glazes, it is bound to happen and why most pots are wadded and fired on either pieces of old broken shelf or on soft brick pieces. The Oribe glaze worked rather well and was a step up from the few teabowls and small jars that have been glazed to date. I fired a few vases and jars that were between 13" and 16" tall and having a glaze that is not dependant on lepidolite makes that scale much easier to glaze. I think this is the green glaze I will be using for the foreseeable future, but I am well aware, I am always one glaze test away from going with something entirely new.

Illustrated is the kaku-kinuta vase I posted up on the blog a week ago. The glaze responded well on the form and allowed the details and marks from the paddling to stand out without obscuring them. Where the glaze ran and pooled on the shoulder it created a neat effect as the copper built up and began to create a rich blue-green texture. The second illustration is a detail of the mouth and shoulder of an Oribe glazed tsubo that has combed slip decoration around the pot. The green is very intense and iridescent around the mouth and elsewhere and there are areas of rich blue-green tendrils created by a saturation of copper in the glaze. All in all, not a bad firing for a test glaze.

MIYAMA

If I close my eyes and think about what the quintessential Hagi chawan would look like, there are several bowls that come to mind. It would have a broad and pleasant form, lots of glaze variations, tones of pinks and lavender, gritty daido clay and a strong and proud foot, not at all unlike the chawan illustrated. Made by Miwa Kyuwa in the mid-1970's, this chawan has all the features that make Hagi-yaki so wonderful and desirable. Named MIYAMA, "beautiful mountain" by Sokuchusai (Mujin Sosa 1901-1979), its name captures the powerful, somber and majestic nature of this bowl. Miwa Kyuwa, one of the finest Hagi potters of the 20th century,  created this bowl which epitomizes a classic tradition and though an aesthetic tour de force, his goal was to create function before beauty. Due to his exceptional skill and eye, he was able to do both without compromising either.

(Photo used with the kind permission of a collector.)

SIMPATICO

I know I have droned on about music in regards to working previously, but it seems to be a topic that comes up from time to time. I recently had a nice series of emails regarding music and we compared notes as to what music we tend to listen to with various tasks; from throwing and trimming, to decorating, carving, glaze making and glazing. I noticed, that we both listened to some of the same music for similar tasks, which I found more than a coincidence and rather interesting. Yesterday, I was carving a group of porcelain bowls and the music I was listening to was a compilation of classical, new age and electronic music which included a few by Tomita, some Jarre and Vangelis, some jazzed up Claire De Lune versions by various artists and Alan Parson's Project, I, ROBOT. The cd is contemplative, soft and without any abrupt or loud interruptions, it is simpatico with the task at hand. I am a firm believer that we each have our own soundtrack to our lives and this is just another group that gets me through yet another part of making my pottery and enjoying it along the way.