It
occurred to me quite recently that I hadn't made any etched porcelain pieces in
a while so I made a group of very simple round teabowl forms and the
illustrated piece is one of the results. Thrown out of porcelain and then finished
on the wheel with a sea sponge, a texture is left on the surface as you can see
in the photo after which the design is put on in wax and then the area around
is carefully removed using diluted vinegar in this case though straight water
works as well. The design here is quite simple, repeated ovoid devices around
the surface that intersect atvarious
points around the bowl. It was suggested that this particular photo makes the
design look a bit like some disenfranchised bug creature but I assure you all I
was after was a simple, geometric based design. I think the next time around I
am likely to use shellac as resist even though the cleanup is a pain in the butt,
the detail can be much finer, more crisp and quite possibly worth the effort.
My
last post regarding the Tsukigata Nahiko golden mizusashi got me thinking of
the metallic and lustrous surface or another pot that I took photos of a while
back, different but certainly as interesting. I first came in to contact with
Miura Shurei's pottery from seeing the Kikuchi collection and though I had seen
a few pieces first hand, I hadn't actually handled any until earlier this year.
This somewhat confusing detail shot is a close-up of the iridescent, metallic
surface of a tall octagonal bottle by Miura Shurei (b.1942) that shows off one
of his classic glazes, kujaku-yu (peacock glaze) which is bisected by one of
the lines created when the piece was faceted. The glaze has either run away or
has been intentionally manipulated to highlight each ridge line creating a
wonderful decorative element to an already stunning surface and vase. In low
light this bottle appears to be just a classic, Chinese influenced form with a
dark, smoky glaze but by subjecting it to varying light sources the pot shows
off its various lives with a different persona for each. As you may be able to
tell from this detail shot, this is a very spirited and contemplative vase with
a surface rich in variation and elements, it was great to have the opportunity
to see it first hand, literally. I should also mention that there is a
piece by Miura Shurei at the Sackler (Smithsonian) which you can see here; https://www.freersackler.si.edu/object/S1993.35/
I
was looking for some photos of a
Tokoname pot yesterday and in doing so stumbled across this detail shot of the
interior of the "golden mizusashi" that I posted up by Tsukigata Nahiko
some time back. For the lack of a better descriptor, the interior and in fact
most of the pot has an other-worldly appearance like something only the Hubble
can glimpse and as you can tell the surface just seems to glow or luminesce by
reflecting back all the light collected inside. In some respects I am reminded
of what I would expect some distant planet made predominantly of solid metal to
look like with areas of various elements coalesced to paint the surface with all kinds of unique textures
and color created as molten metal solidifies and creates stunning crystals. The irony is that is
probably exactly how this glaze came to be, heavily impregnated with various
metallic oxides which through heat created an array of metallic like effects
not unlike the so called manganese gold glaze used by modern American potters.
I truly enjoyed seeing this very unique Tsukigata mizusashi though I suspect
where there is one there are likely to be many, the visual texture was quite
stunning and when on display it just irradiated the area creating its own intergalactic
arena balancing reflected light and shadow and making the fullest use of form
to command all available space.
For
nearly two decades I have dragged around this odd plastic cup that I was given
as a gift as a joke and it has been ever present on my desk near the computer
all that time until recently when it actually just split in half. Though I carefully
glued it back together I realized it could no longer function in its previous
capacity as a pencil holder so I made another to replace it. The illustrated
pierced Oribe style pen holder is based
on a pierced Japanese Oribe candle holder that I really like and the piece was
quickly thrown in stoneware, incised to establish where I would cut out clay and
then holes were cut in the opposing solid areas to lighten up the visual form.
Obviously this was glazed in one of my Oribe formulas, in this case made from
lepidolite which highlights the incised decoration and the sharp cuts from the
piercings. I am sure that it was not my intension to have to make a pencil
holder the day before I did but it fit well within the kiln and adds credence
to the old maxim; necessity truly is the mother of invention. BTW
could there be anything less interesting that a blog post about a guy making a pencil
holder? It really is true, the fact that I have nothing to say means I
definitely should blog about it.
I
had an extremely brief encounter with a rather nice pot by Takauchi Shugo yesterday
at which time I took a lot of photos of it and then posted it up on Trocadero
all as a favor to a friend. The pot in question is the illustrated Oribe te-oke,
perhaps the quintessential form associated with Takauchi Shugo in which the the clay was roughly thrown leaving a variety of marks around the piece at which time he
then hacked away vertical channels disrupting the surface and adding a sense of
dramatic tension and even a hint of aggression to the piece. The top of the
form was also quickly cut and a handle was skillfully added to the form
which adds a striking visual presence to the pot and then it was glazed and
fired in his trademark, rich Oribe glaze which has accentuated every mark made.
The encounter of about two hour was brief as it went about as quickly as it
arrived; it arrived, it was re-packed, it was shipped. I enjoyed this brief
encounter but would have been just as happy have more time to spend with it but
hopefully the 100+ photos and possible slideshow video down the road will be
reminder enough of the time spent well.
As
I think about the very first pieces of pottery that were repurposed as chawan,
I think about simple, humble rice bowls, pots from kilns in China, Korea and
various spots around Kyoto and Japan, pieces that were as uncomplicated as
possible. To put it as succinctly as possible in a modern colloquial, these
bowls were no fuss, no muss, they were mostly unconsciously created, even
disposable in some respects as even potters of that time period may have had
the mind set, "you use them, you break them, we'll just make more".
When I saw this ever so simple chawan by Matsuzaki Ken, it is that origin that
sprung to mind; simply conceived, simply thrown, tooled and fired, focused
clarity of purpose. From my perspective making a simple bowl that is alive,
animated and is not boring is a true feat, almost herculean in nature but I
think this pot has succeeded, the form is strong and honest, broad and inviting
with a certain rhythm thrown into the clay perched atop a classic foot the
elevates and helps define the narrative of the chawan. The firing is always
risky but in this case, it must have been in the exact right spot for the piece
as it is blanketed in a near total glaze of natural ash that adds warmth,
texture and a visual appeal to the chawan that perhaps a few inches in any
other direction may not have cooperated. I know I drone on from time to time
about how everything has to go right to produce a good pot but it really does
boil down to a perfect storm of temperament, clay and firing to end up with a
pot that that is based on simplicity and has quite a story to share.
Preparing
for my last firing, I threw several "sets" of bowls, as in two of
each made to roughly match or pair up. A faceted set, a thick slipped set, an
altered lip set and this pair that was lobed and stamped, all destined to fire
in and around a group of planters that were ordered. This pair was made to
match in terms of how they were thrown and altered with the impressed stamps
being different on either bowl and I think this still constitutes matching at
least in my book. Out of the bisque both were glazed in an Oribe style glaze
with a thick application of iron to temper the surface and the results are
rather clear. The surface is still transparent with every mark on the pot
clearly showing which adds a greater dimension to the pieces and gives them a
sense of movement which I like especially as they are perched high up on the
angular cut feet. Luckily I put five sets in the kiln and got five sets out
which is rather nice considering it doesn't always work that way, must have
done everything right this time. I would also like to take a moment
and reflect on the great sacrifice that generations have made today on Memorial
Day without whom our history would be quite different. May we always remember
that the real price of freedom is in no way free.
I
am constantly on the lookout for good source materials regarding modern
Japanese pottery from the post-war era to modern times; catalogues, magazines,
brochures, books, all are welcome provided they fall within a range of potters,
style and traditions that interest me. I recently received a very fine,
Japanese bound catalogue from the late 60s on the potter Kawai Takeichi and as
a bonus to all of the wonderful color illustrations there is a photo of his ink
designs every couple of pages meant to compliment the oxide decoration on any
given pot. Illustrated is a photo of one on Takeichi's classic which would have
been placed on a molded plate form though the central elements of the
decoration is also seen on more three dimensional pieces like jars and vases.
There are a dozen of these ink design sketches, some next to the design on a
ceramic piece but seeing design and pot together gives a sense of the careful
and thoughtful consideration that a potter must give to skillfully blend form
and surface decoration, a skill that Kawai Takeichi learned under the guidance
of his master to which he put to the fullest and most eye pleasing manner.
I
had this highly animated and well fired Iga chawan here a while back as part of
a small collection I was helping sell for a fellow collector. Made by Atarashi
Manabu (b.1973) this chawan has a fierce, hacked at surface of shifting planes
and angles created by the potter and well complimented by a really good firing
while maintaining a really good and inviting feel to both hand and eye.
Atarashi Manabu studied with his father, veteran Iga potter Atarashi Kanji and
he has gone on to build several anagama style kilns, the first one being in
2002. As you can see in this short slideshow video, the form and firing are
simpatico and the lip and foot just go on to complete the piece in rather
provocative manner. This was a really fun pot to have here and study and I hope
the video gives the sense of what a lively and playful chawan this unique piece
really is.
Illustrated is a detail shot
of some simple glaze inlay that I did on a series of small, square dessert
plates recently. Each plate is approximately 8" x 8" and glazed in my
temmoku with fine line inlay using the medieval green. what I like about this
technique is that where the medieval green meets the temmoku, it has a soft,
blurry effect creating iron tendrils that make their way into the light green
decoration, it softens the overall appearance and makes for a natural look. The
decoration itself is my basic "landscapeman" design that is only a bit wider than
a pencil tip that is altered to look like cosmic or stellar intersections which
I have mentioned before stems from an old Sci-Fi movie. Each small plate has
the same basic theme but was decorated differently to complement each other
which quite honestly made it easier on me and the eye as well.
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