KANNYU II

I found this illustration the other day while I was trying to do some "research" on Sung celadons and there it was between some wonderful old Chinese pots. This light blue kannyu-seiji chawan is by Kishimoto Kennin who besides mastering this particular glaze has delved deeply into a wide array of surfaces and styles from Shino & Oribe to wood fired Iga-yaki. I love the casual form and posture of this bowl and the horizontal ridge that runs around the piece creates a wonderful glaze stop where the glaze pools a bit, darkens and the fracture pattern is altered. The ridge is highly affective on this chawan creating a rich visual element to the piece which breaks up the uniformity of the walls of the pot as well as the continuity of the surface. The ridge and lip create dark, iron saturated lines that together with the unctuous roll of glaze at the base and around the fingerprints add yet more definition to the lyrical and mysterious quality of the chawan. Over the years I have seen quite a few pots with this style of glaze and ironically many are stayed in their presentation, some even boring but in this chawan, Kishimoto Kennin used all of his years of experience to create a pot that is a dissertation in what it means to be kannyu-seiji.

YAKI-YOKAI

I am not quite sure if this meets the Halloween criteria but I thought, what the heck, it's my blog and as long as I operate within the known laws of physics, I should be okay. I found this image a while back and it immediately struck me as a powerful and iconic image that only Fujiwara Ikuzo is capable of and it is fiercely wood fired as well. Looking a bit like a sentinel guarding the kimon, demon's gate, he exudes an attitude and posture which defies entry unless perhaps he can be tricked in to a game of gakko (tag). As with many of Fujiwara's hand sculpted pieces, this Oni is filled with dynamic tension and power and yet has just the slightest hint of wry humor in his expression which has a sense of being inviting, impish and a bit nasty all at the same time. Given the way in which Fujiwara Ikuzo sculpts his pieces, the wood firing has added a softness and shadow to the form giving it quite a degree of dimension and personality, bringing this somewhat disagreeable character to life out of a large block of clay. What's not to love and Happy Halloween!

GREEN 2 GREEN

I think I showed this particular Falling Leaves covered piece as greenware two or three weeks past. Here it is now fired and still warm from a firing this weekend showing leaves falling about a dark black background which I hope establishes a mood and sets up a sense of motion about the pot. I posted this to give a perspective of the piece from greenware to decorated where in many respects, little changes except the pot gets fired and the surface obviously changes quite a bit, but thanks to a really dependable terra cotta clay, there is little to no warpage, a small amount of shrinkage and very rarely does the clay crack. Though this clay is not the greatest to throw and can be quite a struggle at times, all in all given the clays super powers, it is worth the effort.

"The one thing that matters is the effort." Antoine de Saint-Exupery

B&W NOT B&W

Here is an excellent ink wash by sometsuke master and Ningen Kokuho; Kondo Yuzo. Though painted in black and white and not blue and white, this simple and easily recognizable thistle design is along with persimmons and sharp mountain landscapes a trademark design of Kondo Yuzo. As mentioned these designs are usually portrayed in deep, vivid cobalt with faint washes of blue to even grey tones with the additions of red and gold depending on the piece. Known as the Japanese thistle, cirsium japonicum, this particular plant caught the attention of Kondo early on and can be seen on many of his works throughout his long and illustrious career as one of the finest sometsuke artists of the 20th century. Beyond his initial family and students, the influence of the stylistic renderings that Kondo Yuzo is so well know for has influenced both potter and painters alike during his lifetime and well beyond.

"The thistle is a prince. Let any man who has an eye for beauty take a view of the whole plant, and where will he see more expressive grace and symmetry; and where is there a more kingly flower?"  Henry Ward Beecher

YAKIMONO JIZO-BOSATSU

Known as the patron saint of children, travelers and those languishing in jigoku (hell), Jizo Bosatsu is one of a large number of "deities" in Buddhism. If you have ever traveled to Japan you will find Jizo literally everywhere, along roadsides, in gardens and cemeteries and of course in Buddhist temples crisscrossing the country. Illustrated is a small, sculpted stoneware Jizo-bosatsu figure made by Mashiko ceramic artist and sculpture, Fujiwara Ikuzo. Though quite idiosyncratic to the artist, Fujiwara has kept the idealized features of the praying Jizo so that the imagery is immediately identifiable from the forehead jewel representing the third eye to the long earlobes and serene expression alluding to the state of nirvana. Like many of Fujiwara Ikuzo's figures, this small okimono has a somewhat comical appearance not intended to mock or satire the iconography but perhaps to make it more approachable and easier to fit within the modern home as welcomed guest and spiritual representative and advisor. What ever his intentions, this wonderful little Jizo-bosatsu figure is likely to find himself quite at home from bookshelf to home alter and just about anywhere he may wander.

SAME PLACE ALMOST 365 DAYS LATER

It is that time of year, a place where I find myself year after year when I just don't feel like I can get enough work done in a day and certainly can not get pots dried out fast enough for bisque firings. Over the years I have taken to using the kilns to dry out my terra cotta pots thanks to a forgiving and all purpose terra cotta clay body that I have tweaked over the years. The terra cotta that I am currently using was originally from a formula that I got from Dick Schneider back at my CSU days though the current incarnation has be altered quite a bit to all for what I call shock drying which rarely results in any warping or cracking of the clay. Illustrated is a black and white slip tray that was made on a Monday and glaze fired on a Sunday thanks to this drying method. Using soft brick under the tray, I allow the heat to perculate up through the bricks and dry out the clay which can take a couple of hours but makes it ready to go in a bisque the very next day. From here it is simply about balancing out pieces, filling and firing the kilns and getting everything finished. There is never enough kiln space or time and I always seem to get inventories to galleries just at the last minute or a day or two late but luckily, for the most part they are very accomidating. Thanks.

 

CLAY, WAX & IRON

Illustrated is a rather large and well decorated Mashiko tsubo which is well over a foot tall and impressive in person. This robust jar has vivid areas of tessha floating around the surface which enhances the evocative wax resist floral design surrounding the pot, a blend of clay, wax and iron. Made by Kimura Mitsuru, son-in-law of Kimura Ichiro, this tsubo shows the clear influences of father, his master Hamada Shoji and the feel of pottery that has collectively become known as Mashiko-yaki. The decoration is fluid and almost lyrically arranged around the pot like a studied presentation of a waka poem where image replaces writing but conveys the same sense of narrative. The timeless quality of the form and surface is an excellent representation of Mashiko ideals that have almost become codified by Hamada Shoji, Sakuma Totaro, Murata Gen, Shimaoka Tatsuzo, Tamura Koichi  and Kimura Ichiro, all leaving behind excellent interpretations of what it means to be Mashiko ware while presenting a phenomenal base for all those who come after them to learn from, strive to and move beyond.

"The benevolent fragrance permeates all things;
Can it be that each blossom is the reincarnation of the Buddha?"  Daishin Gito (1657-1730)

F&F

When I first saw this ring style, round haikaburi vase I was taken by the animated and jovial nature that it possessed as much for fun as it is for function. Made by Yoshisuji Keiji most likely not long after he set up his own pottery studio, this vase has many of the unique qualities of his master, Kohyama Yasuhisa from the influences of ancient sueki ware to the manner in which it is made not to mention the wonderful neck that is prominently displayed on the piece. Seated on two raised feet, the third point of contact  is directly below the neck allowing the water to pool more deeply in this area and creating a wonderful and intriguing posture that is as entertaining as it is purposeful. The blend of the old and new along with the playfulness of the form makes for a rather enjoyable pot to look at and use and I hope this short video slideshow conveys these qualities to the viewer.

MINUS A CAPITAL

Illustrated is my Oribe style glaze over a fluted stoneware teabowl based on an ancient Roman ionic column. I find it interesting how easy it is to mix influnces and for this bowl, as I mentioned, the form is loosely Roman, the glaze is Japanese influenced and the foot of the bowl has its origins from the Leach/ Mackenzie tradition of pottery making. The fluting itself became yet another mix of influences and pieces parts as I used to have a fluting tool but somewhere along the way I misplaced it so it is no where to be found. I decided to make one out of a piece of sheet metal that the heating & cooling people left behind at my request many years back, by cutting a rectagle, I then cut two slits at the top of the strip and then using a piece of half-round molding, I created the area which protrudes and flutes the clay. The tool didn't turn out to be the best or most sturdy fluting tool ever made but did the job in a pinch as I had thrown a few pieces to flute (meaning they were thick!) and needed the tool I thought was still in an old pottery tool box. All in all, this made for an interesting day combining influences from several sources and repurposing some scrap material that was destined to be thrown away, hopefull the results were worth all the perturbation.

A.P.

To some, this may seem like heresy and to others, well, why didn't I think of that? Recently in an email exchange with a longtime collector we were discussing being accidental guinomi collectors but unlike my wife and I who do drink various spirits, the other collector did not but had over the years found a variety of uses or "alternative purposes" for his guinomi that are just about as satisfying. At parties, meals and cordial, casual get-togethers he has used guinomi for appetizers, sauces, individual sushi dishes and even for desserts like sorbets, custard, ice cream and even chocolates. I thought the idea sounded quite interesting and I could image a table set with varying Japanese and American handmade pottery punctuated here and there with guinomi of various origins. The illustrated guinomi is a boxed but unidentified kannyu seiji piece that I decided to heap full with brandy cordials and though it looks positively large in scale it is just about 3.5" across and holds a very ample portion of dark chocolate goodness. I thought the contrast between the form, glaze and contents was rather pleasing but it would seem in no time at all, only an empty guinomi remains, go figure.