And then there were Three (Chawan)

[sabi]

It feels like it's been forever since I've posted any sort of ceramics update in here when I did so frequently in the past.  I've just about whittled my tea bowls down to forever pieces and thought it was a good time to do so.  These three represent a step up for me, much like when I purchased my first Nidai Yamakichibei years ago. 

 

I must have eyed over a thousand black Oribe tea bowls before finding one I was willing to make the jump for.  Made by an anonymous potter of the past, this chawan was thrown with the utmost confidence resulting in a beautifully organic form that somehow manages to avoid any clumsiness.  It's big and certainly a handful, but not heavy, just perfectly settled.  The glaze ranges from jet black with inky blue reflections to an ash-like smattering, a result of the cooling rate when this piece was pulled from the kiln.  An absolute tour de force of the style, pure strength. 

 

The next is of a similar form but executed in a vastly different manner.  Technically a "found object" for me - a Kiseto piece by the renound master of the style, Ikenishi Go, this bowl was made as a humble hachi, tableware.  A work by this artist has long been on my radar, but chawan of his are prohibitively expensive.  A mere hachi on the other hand, is fairly reasonable.  Thinking it would function beautifully as a tea bowl, I went for it and was rewarded for the slightly out of the box idea. While not nearly as much of a stretch as Rikyu repurposing the utilitarian wares of Bizen and Iga/Shiga for tea ceremony vessels, I'm proud to have used the concept to acquire something for this purpose that would've normally been far out of reach, but functions all the same. 

 

Lastly, while I had become very familiar with why "Ichi Raku" is a saying, I had zero experience with the runner up, "ni Hagi".  Having been extremely traditional until the mid-20th century or so, a few contemporary potters have breathed new life into the style while remaining true to its history.  One of them is Masanao Kaneta, or the 8th generation Sanzaemon.  A sculptor in his heart vs a thrower, he made the daring decision to use the kurinuki method to construct his wares - a solid block of clay is scooped and carved out until the final form is reached.  It feels different when you pick it up, which is entirely a compliment, similar to why handbuilt Raku bowls seem to fuse to your hands.  While those are generally light and airy, this is solid, weighty.  Its heft acting like a magnet which is exquisitely complimented by the smooth and thick "Oni Hagi" glazing style.  While the base glaze is traditional white, the artist also manages to get ethereal color flashing of pink and lavender hues from what I can only assume is some form of noborigama witchcraft.  On this piece, the combination of the two produces a landscape that leaves this usually wordy collector speechless.  The best way I can describe it is like a summer thunderstorm, a wall of mist being highlighted by the backdrop sunny skies off in the distance.

 

[Brian]

Evan,
Thanks for sharing. Your posts like this are always educational to those of us not very familiar with Japanese pottery.
You have some stunning pieces there, thanks for letting us enjoy them through you.

[sabi]

Thanks Brian!  I hope that doing so might inspire others to pursue this highly rewarding avenue of collecting.  I was first introduced to it as an offshoot of tsuba studying, and there's a lot of overlap that I think applies to a wide range of tastes. 

[The Blacksmith]

Many years back, I worked with the Royal Ballet, and while we were on tour in Budapest, we attended a garden party at the British Ambassadors residence. Whilst looking around the house, which we were welcome to do, I noticed several stunning Japanese antiques, and on a table a raku vase, which I thought to be possibly the work of Shoji Hamada. When I asked the ambassador about it, he was surprised to find someone who recognised the work and he informed me that he had been at the embassy on Tokyo, though I do not remember if he was actually ambassador there. The beautiful vase, which was indeed by Shoji Hamada, was presented to him whilst he was at the embassy. An absolutely exquisite piece by a master.

[sabi]

OK I lied, ONE more (isn't it always?).

 

Shiro-Raku chawan by the great master Sugimoto Sadamitsu.  A Koetsu form teabowl by this aritst has been on my list for quite a while, and as I reflect over its first bowl of tea in my hands, it's clear that the journey was well worth it.