WHAT ARE THE ODDS? (BRIDGE FOR SALE)

Apocryphal (  ə-ˈpä-krə-fəl); in simple terms something that is well known but not true, a fuller definition would be, of doubtful authenticity, spurious, dubious, mythical.

I saw a chawan recently that was being represented as a Momoyama period treasure and it was unused, what are the odds? Now I am certainly not saying that just because the bowl appears unused and nearly pristine on the interior (even though there are other characteristics that don't seem right for the period) that it is questionable in its age "guesstimation" but seriously, what are the odds that a bowl made over 400 years ago was not ever used as to leave some traces of the use in the crackle of the feldspar glaze inside? Not to come across as a cynic, which I am by the way but I would think my chances of winning the next $1.5 Billion lottery are far better than this really being plausible. When dealing with the authentication process experts are in agreement, it is far easier to discount an object as fake than prove its (veracity or validity) to 100% certainty. Though I am no expert on Momoyama ceramics I have been very fortunate to handle some rather famous Momoyama pots (thanks to MC and MA and a private Japanese collector) and there is a rather similar quality to these pots beyond the robust and simple qualities of these pots, none possess that over worked, contrived and self-conscious appearance that the later copies all seem to exhibit even if ever so minutely. I guess it is just easy to say a pot is Momoyama or by Hamada Shoji, back it up with a ambiguous return policy and see what happens, after all you pay your money and you take your chances. Personally I'll side with the time proven adage; CAVEAT EMPTOR.

RIGHT ON TRACK

Illustrated is a picture that I found on the web of an Ko-Iga style vase by Kojima Kenji. It is obvious this piece dates early in Kojima's career but the strength of form and his mastery of firing is clearly seen in here. The bamboo form is casual in its making creating an imposing presence with a strong ridge defining the piece, the confident marks made along the pot articulate the surface and break the tension just a bit. The majority of the vase form is cloaked in a rich green ash that appears wet and in motion while there is a triangular patch where charcoal has painted a portion of the base creating a wonderful juxtaposition to the rest of the surface. Though this pot has strong ties to feudal archetypes than his more contemporary vessels it is clear that he was right on track to creating robust and honest pottery that reflects a dedication to Ko-Iga and the personal vision of a pioneer.

"To make beautiful Igayaki, one shouldn't fuss too much with the shapes but stay conscious of showing off the beautiful green color." From an interview between Hiroshi Den and Kojima Kenji, translated by Peter Ujlaki.

SCHERHERAZADE

While I was rustling around through a bin filled with teabowls I came across this little cap jar where the basis for the piece was the story of Scherherazade reclining in front of several large Persian pots. I made this little covered pot for a 2" x 2" show back in the early 1990's where the only restrictions were that the piece be made entirely of ceramics and not exceed two inches in any dimension. Using underglazes and sgraffito I covered the pot in the design and incised a small narrative around the base, this was my first attempt at working so small and quite honestly among my last. I didn't think it came out that bad given the scale of the pot and its demands for decorating so small a surface. Looking back on it nearly 20+ (?) years later I wish every first time effort came out this well though I doubt I will ever be that lucky again.

 

"Wishers were ever fools." William Shakespeare

SPLASH

Since I posted the Mukunoki Eizo (Shunsui) henko up last week I though about putting up a piece that shows the great diversity of the potter while high lighting his adherence to the Kawai-mon and thought this temmoku and tessha tsubo would do the trick. Cutting a rather robust and study form this tsubo has that classic Kawai school presence, ruggedly thrown and with four purposeful attached lugs the rich temmoku glaze is decorated and punctuated with splashes of an iron rich tessha glaze harkening back to the works of Kawai Kanjiro. I really enjoy the folky and utilitarian qualities of this pot which demands to be used and admired, truly a blend of the Kawai and mingei aesthetics from foot to lip.

"The difference between utility and utility plus beauty is the difference between telephone wires and the spider web." Edwin Way Teale (1899-1980)

SUMMIT

Though these were not intended to go together and were not fired in the same firing, I am rather pleased at how well they go together in terms of surface and decoration. In a short time I have already come to a particular way of working for this style and the fact that pots made two months apart can work well together gives me the sign that the technique and glazing has hit its stride and I am at least pointed in the right direction. There have been techniques and glazes over the years that took a rather long time to work things out and be able to create a cohesive body of work, certainly my old copper red glaze springs to mind. Hitting on forms and surface treatments for the copper red was a slow process partially due to the fact that I had to fill an 60cft kiln with just one glaze and fire it in a rather specific manner. This particular Oribe has been easier to fine tune though I doubt I can leave well enough alone; it is always something with glazes, a new summit appears with each and every glaze firing.

KANNYU

Illustrated is a modern classic beishokuji kannyu vase by celadon master; Minegishi Seiko (b.1952). The details around the mouth and waist of the form accentuate the double refractive quality of the glaze with the yellow-brown tone being enhanced by the iron rich clay the pot was thrown from. Minegishi Seiko  considers himself largely self-taught and his early work is a wonderfully elegant kohiki style heavily influenced by Korean pottery and though he continues to use some of his earlier forms, his more modern celadon work is literally night and day from his first footsteps in to pottery. This celadon vase was made in Nasu where he has his studio and kiln, located in Tochigi Prefecture and the center of his creation and constant experimentation in glaze making, forms and surface decoration. Though Minegishi is very well known for his unique shinogi (ridgeline) technique that is just masterful with the kannyu style glazes, it is the depth and beauty of his calmer forms that transcend his pots into a world of contemplation and reflection, painting a fractal universe in three dimensions.

AME-YU HENKO

Illustrated is a rich ame-yu glazed henko by the last pupil of Kawai Kanjiro, Mukunoki Eizo. The molded stoneware bottle has a casual, decorative slip trailed design that though influenced by his master is readily identifiable as the work of Eizo and is clearly marked on the base to avoid even a passing confusion. Mukunoki, who has changed his name to Shunsui, was born in 1943 and spent  time as Kawai Kanjiro's last full time student from 1958-1966 and along with his master's guidance he was also taught by Kawai Takeichi adding to his education. This molded bottle form is a classic staple of the Kawai-mon style and has a solid and purposeful form with bordered panels creating four interconnected but different planes; the glaze has a certain depth and in person it absorbs color and light from where ever it is displayed making for a ever changing presence.

HIBACHI

Illustrated is a large Tokoname shudei hibachi ("fire-bowl") by Yamada Tozan I (1878-1940). The pot has a burnished surface and a lengthy inscription carved into it with a long date and signature to conclude the text, after the signature is an annotation, SAKU-TO, self carved. Tozan I was succeeded by his son Yamada Tozan II (1907-1998) and in turn he by his son Tozan III (current). Shudei ware was developed early in the Edo period in Tokoname (Aichi prefecture) and is known for its fine grained, iron rich clay that fires to a variety of red tones including bright red vermillion. The clay is burnished to achieve these fine red surfaces and then once burnished the decoration is carved through the tightly packed surface creating a two-tone effect. The Tokoname potters specialized in carved kyusu teapots/cups, teaware (sencha and matcha) and censors(koro) and braziers among other items with hand carved (tosaku) floral and dragon decorations as well as extensive and idiosyncratic texts, prayers (sutra), travelogues, narratives, etc. This particular hibachi dates from the late 1920s and is a typical piece for Tozan I as well as the Tokoname style in general and since this pot has been in the US since just after WWII, I am curious what it has been used for during its stay State side?

Here is a short video of Tokoname potter, Yamada Tozan III that I found on YouTube:

BASIC GREEN

Ewer; a form of pitcher or jug that is shaped like a vase and is or was used for holding a liquid.

I am rather guilty of moving forward with "glazes in phases" and sometimes forgetting to use older glazes and glaze combos that are tried and true. I guess I get caught up in the zeitgeist of testing and proving phases and like to work out ideas, styles and decorations without being more inclusive of what I did just a short while ago. In one of my last firings I went back to my time tested basic green which I refer to as medieval green; though developed in my ongoing quest for Oribe style glazes, it has more of a medieval feel to it, like early lead glazes of England. In this case I made a ewer form and decorating with black and white slips using a wax resist design which compliments the base of the form and immediate interior of the mouth. I pulled the handle ovoid in cross section and went for a graceful and almost fragile appearance that echoes the curve of the neck. I have used hundreds (thousands?) of glazes over my years making pottery and need to be mindful that the next thing is not always the only thing when working out any variety of ideas.

A very dear, departed friend of mine who was interested in both Japanese art and culture used to quip; " a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step but it best to remember each and every one of those steps if you ever want to go back".

KO-TSUBO II

Illustrated is a small little jar made in Fujina, it is combed slipware with a soft greenish toned ame-yu glaze made by mingei purist; Funaki Michitada (1900-1963). Measuring in at less than four inches tall, this pot is a little gem with a swollen, full presence with a perfect little knob made just right to get the job done. Influenced by Old English slipware and Bernard Leach, Michitada and his son, Kenji (b. 1927) have carried out a crusade for creating beautiful and functional pots in a blended style of medieval England and Japan. This lidded ko-tsubo is made out of an iron rich reddish clay that just peeks out through the combed texture revealing a dark surface just beneath. Having a wonderful, natural feel in hand with a lid fits just right and the knob just asking to be grabbed this is a mingei pot through and through.