Hello everyone, how are you all doing?
The start of the rainy season was recently announced here in Okayama Prefecture, and we have finally entered the full-blown rainy season.
I am always amazed at how quickly the bamboo shoots in the backyard shoot up during this time of year.
I would like to introduce a flower vase that, much like those bamboo shoots, has a refreshing, straight-growing form.
Although this item was already sold at our shop, a kind customer has allowed us to photograph it.
The powerful spatula work and the "kase" (matte, dry texture) combine to embody the unique world of the artist, Makoto Kaneshige.
This is the flower vase featured in the Bizen special edition of the "Bessatsu Honoo Geijutsu" magazine.
This is a Bizen "tsubaguchi" (flared-rim) flower vase by Makoto Kaneshige, an artist popular for his mastery of sake vessels.
It features an incredibly dynamic design; the top section was stretched out in one go from a large lump of clay, while the bottom section, left with significant thickness, was shaped by carving away large amounts of clay with a spatula.
The widely flared "tsubaguchi" rim also displays a powerful sense of clay expansion.
While categorized as on the smaller side, its stretched and energetic form makes it feel anything but small.
Furthermore, the "keshiki" (scenery) features a superb "kase" kiln transformation, making both the front and back well worth seeing.
Sake lovers might find themselves tempted to rub sake into it to help it mature.
The "hi-iro" (scarlet color) is magnificent, and it is a piece you could spend hours admiring even without flowers arranged in it.
We are heading into a hot summer, but please look forward to our upcoming kiln openings, which we are very excited about.
(Our next planned arrivals are from Jun Isezaki and his student, Takashi Soga.)