A (BASE) GLAZE ODYSSEY

As I continued to test the Kuro-Oribe style glaze that I was working with I began to see qualities in it that reminded me of a series of Kurogaratsu pots that I had seen in an exhibition years ago. At this point I decided to start running a parallel line of tests to see if it could be altered  to take on some of the characteristics of what I had seen firsthand and this is the first larger, well larger than a pod or guinomi test to come out. Using the same base glaze* as my Oribe, I added iron, a pinch of copper and some finely ground ash and then a mixed wash of oxides was unevenly put over the surface and here is how it turned out. The sandy clay was made here in small batches and had the grain of the clay opened during the tooling process to further activate the surface which I think it did to good effect. Though a bit hard to see in this reflective nightmare, the surface has a wide array of depths of color from ambers to a chocolaty brown with various tendrils of mixed irons droozing down the surface, proof alone for the theory of gravity if ever it were needed. I should just mention that I began using this altered base glaze almost 15 years ago and it has been a true windfall as it has been the starting point for quite a lot of the work I have done in stoneware and porcelain for the same amount of time. Now if only I could figure out a way to make an Oni-Shino glaze out of this base maybe I could stop all this testing.  

(*The original formula of this base glaze was given to me by a potter while I lived in Cleveland though I never used it at that time. Years later when I moved here to central NY State I finally tested it and didn't like it right out of the box so I kept modifying it until it suited my needs. I think at this point the formulas are significantly different but without his generosity the odyssey that is this base would likely have never happened.)

TMC

There is something about a pot that is traditional and practical but at the same time has certain modern elements in its appearance. I think for the most part the modern is really just an extension of the potter's voice working through clay in a medium that is thousands of years old and a tradition that goes back to the middle ages in Japan to the birth of chanoyu. This rather straight forward Bizen mizusashi by Yokoyama Naoki is an excellent case in point where there are certain constraints placed upon the potter to fulfill the purpose, the intent of the pot, operating within some traditional guidelines while exercising a degree of personal expression and energy to create a modern pot. Casually thrown, the form has been interrupted by the addition of not only well placed lugs but by marks impressed as the wheel was moving to trick the eye in to seeing the continued sense of motion once the pot was fired. Likewise the well conceived lid has had marks added to create visual interest and to clearly define the lid with its pinched knob to act as the termination of the form. Though perhaps now better known for his shizen neriage and nerikomi work, this mizusashi clearly shows a maturity of Yokoyama's noborigama firing where the surface has just the right amount of ash deposit and flashing to enhance and not obscure the surface presenting a timeless modern classic to a centuries old tradition.

NUANCED DETAILS

Sometimes when you look at a pot, you can plainly see that a potter was listening and watching very carefully everything his master said and did. In watching the creation or design of a pot, you can see the nuanced decision making and the subtleties that bring clay to life. This is what I see in the works of Kawai Takeichi, attention to detail and a potter who watched and learned while at the same time formulating his own voice within a tradition the survives to this day. This simple molded hachi is a wonderful exercise in a sound form together with a simple iron tessha and an ash glaze that were all used to the fullest proving that a hand full of clay, some basic chemicals can go a rather long why and to rather good effect.     

Starting with the design of the piece which is at its core simple and a homerun of nuanced details, the pot is easy to make and use with visual particulars including the angled corners and raised ridges create an interest in the surface before the glaze is even applied. Once the ash glaze is used Kawai Takeichi ladled over a rich tessha that when fired has added movement and life to the hachi without any fuss or superfluous additions. In the end learning good and practical design from a master like Kawai Kanjiro certainly can not hurt in one's pursuit of creating work based on a tradition while spreading one's wings to make work that is more about the student than the master.

ANOTHER SET

I am always rather pleased to get a dinner ware commission for several reasons, it gives me a concrete objective, allows me to throw and trim until the job is done and of course it helps keep the lights on. In keeping with the back to basics theme this set was simple, place setting for six with dinner plate, luncheon plate and misc. bowl, eighteen pieces in all and thrown in one sitting. The tooling took about the better part of the next day, sanding, loading and bisque firing, glazing which I so truly love (!) and then the completed set. As usual I made seven of each piece and ended up with the place setting as you see it; stoneware glazed in temmoku and medieval green stripes which I sometimes refer to as alien camouflage and it occurred to me after the fact that the pieces could have been oriented in contrasting directions for a better photo but by then it was too late. Perhaps the most arduous part of the process is bubble-wrapping and packing the pieces on my hands and knees with lots of wrap, peanuts and spare cardboard between each piece and then arrange a pick up and away they go. I have made enough of this design that my wife and I now have enough place settings for ourselves that are slightly mismatched but serve our purposes, just another perk of making dinnerware.

BOOKEND(S)

A fellow collector sent this photo which I thought was worth sharing and I should state that I think this makes for an unusual and somewhat exotic bookend. I am not quite sure if you can tell but in point of fact, this solid and sturdy vase is not actually holding up books but rather is at the end of a shelf where their DVDs are stored. What is clear is this is a rather well glazed and fired Oni-Shino vase by Tsukigata Nahiko only recently arrived here in the States and this collector's first piece by the potter. There are two distinct sides of this vase one is all brown crusty ash surrounded by areas of deep, dark iron and then there is this side which was facing away from the fire during the firing process. This side shows off the thick, fractured feldspar Shino surface with a myriad of  effects from the wood firing where the surface has a thick crust around the upper most part of the vase with lots of iron making its way to the surface running along with the natural green ash down the pot. To complete the package this pot came with a shifuku, signed box, outer lacquered storage box and a price sticker stuck to the pot and inner signed box. I think one would have to admit this is a rather nice example to add to a growing Japanese pottery collection but it does make me wonder, what is at the other end of the shelf?

NORTHERN HENKO

Illustrated is a picture that a fellow collector took of his rather nice Furutani Michio henko form absolutely bathing in sunlight. This is an ideal, even classic piece with wonderful proportions and the surface of a nearly perfect firing that lays out a narrative of not only the intensity of the fire but of the creation of the pot as well. Like many of Furutani Michio's pots, the lines of the form are simple enough with marks used sparingly allowing for the placement in the kiln and the process of wood firing to fill out the purpose, narrative and intent of the piece. Though slightly overexposed by the wash of sunlight the firing is clearly painted across the surface with a wonderful array of effects on full display that makes for a rich, in depth conversation with the pot. One of the most interesting things about a form that has more or less become synonymous with Furutani Michio is the uniqueness of each and every piece due to the casual means and methods of the building the pieces where there is no measurement, no templates and only decisions made on the fly during the construction process to fit a specific pot before the potter. This  together with the predictable unpredictability of the firing to paint the forms in flame and ash, as many of these "slab" henko that are out there, no two are the same and each one a new and exciting conversations that never fails to inspire collectors and potters alike.

MORE LEFTOVERS

Since I have started making up small batches of clay in a bucket which is labor intensive I have started being very mindful of salvaging all the scraps possible from the throwing and trimming of pieces. I end up collecting up the damp scraps and putting it in bags with a damp sponge and then use that clay to throw test bowls and cups like this faceted Kuro-Oribe bourbon cup. Normally I end up with some where north of a pound or so of clay and that is perfect for making two small cups that help aid in the continuous and unending cycle of testing and fine tuning various glazes and multi-glazed surfaces as in the case of this cup which is a base glaze and two washes applied over. What seems like just more leftovers in terms of test clay ends up being the perfect foil for trying out all kinds of ideas from new(ish) forms to multi-layered surfaces with a minimal risk in terms of wasted clay or wasted materials for glazes being able to keep the collateral damage (wasted materials) to about 200 grams or so. Normally these are a good size for spirits, perhaps 10 x 10cm  and this one is no exception being a bit large for sake but as many may consider, perhaps just a bit too small for bourbon.

STANDARD BEARER

I thought it more than about time to follow up on my MAKER'S MARKS post showcasing the work of Furutani Michio by putting up an overall shot of the Iga vase in question. In some respects there is nothing remarkable about this vase in regards to Furutani Michio's body of work, it is certainly a classic pot, well fired, carefully crafted and articulated with just the right amount of incised marks to bring the pot to life and tie all of the elements of the piece together. Though not remarkable, the truth is that his body of work in his later period is mostly of a rather uniformly high level of skill and artistry, the forms are filled with strength, vigor and purpose while the firings are among the best of the late Showa and early Heisei periods, in other words he was at the very top of his game.    

This particular Iga vase has a wonderful posture and attitude where the form, marks and surface are seamlessly integrated with details painted across the surface so plentiful that it is possible to get lost in the parts and miss the feudal presentation of the whole.  This is yet another Furutani trait that sets his work apart from many of his contemporaries and undoubtedly why his influence and style is still emulated and admired over 20 years after his early passing. It is rather easy for me to wax poetic when discussing Furutani Michio's body of work and his individual pots, have handled many of his pieces and meeting him on a number of occasions included just as he had emptied a kiln, dozens of pots all spread out on a large blue tarp, but through dedication, traditional ideals and his writings, he was and still is the standard bearer of the Iga and Shigaraki traditions which he helped move into the 21st century. 

QUIET BUT CAPTIVATING

There is something to be said about pots that are subtle and possess a degree of purity where there is a marriage of clean line and clarity of design, purpose and execution and I think that this vase embodies those ideals and philosophy of creation. Based in part on a well established Sung Dynasty tradition this vase was made by Mashiko potter, Hirosaki Hiroya (1933-2012) who blended his foundations learned during his time studying with Hamada Shoji and also Ishiguro Munemaro who also shared an interest in the Chinese pottery aesthetics. Graceful and elegant in form, Horisaki sculpted a rather crisp and stylized blossom on the face of the vase before glazing in a pure, white Hakuji that is perhaps the perfect surface for both form and decoration. Creating works that are devoid of decoration as well, many are glazed in pure white glaze to showcase the strength, nobility and purity of the forms while others have accent of a cinnabar style shinsha-yu or yuriko red glazes that seem to float effortlessly on in the surface making for a rather profound appearance. Though reliant on a Chinese aesthetic, Hirosaki has picked the essential elements in which to voice his unique vision where past meets present yielding a quiet but captivating conversation between the potter, his pottery and the viewer.

ZERO EXPECTATIONS

I guess the question I originally had was what happens if I were to put my iron yellow glaze over the new thin white, Hagi-like glaze and well, now I have an answer even though this all started with zero expectations. Using an existing small test cup I tried out the iron yellow and hw-05 glaze and ended up with this buttery soft surface that immediately reminded me of some Takatori surfaces that I have seen over the years. Not really knowing what I was going to end up with and no preconceived notions this is a rather neat surface that obviously is compatible with the white and has a nice surface that shows off all the rough pocks and inclusions in the clay to good effect. Like almost all the iron glazes I use the surface is runny and a bit droozy where it terminates, something clearly seen on a number of my tests and pots as the base glaze for almost all, well many of these surfaces is roughly the same one. It is always quite a welcome experience to go into a test without the stress and expectations of certain results which ends up as a welcome surprise that worked at least the first time it was tried on a small pot, let's see if it works on the next test size up. Now I can be anxious about the next series of tests.