sabi

Happy Sunday NMB, This was included with a guinomi I picked up recently and it appears to be original to the package. I'd love to know what it says if anyone here wouldn't mind taking a minute and helping me out. The potter is Tadashi Sasaki and I can make out those characters, but nothing else. Thanks so much!

Ok, so this is what I was thinking of. This tsuba is a couple hundred years older and the "pancake" is a bit more defined, but it was made with much less-homogeneous iron so I still think a decent comparison can be made. And since the "lump" on the dragon is located on the seppa dai, I'd imagine if it stuck out too far it would've been flattened by the tsubako so the seppa would sit right. Lastly, in the interests of full disclosure: I do not know who currently owns this piece and always hesitate to throw up a random image of someone else's property, but as it can be easily found with a Google search I see no harm in duplicating it here.

Jean, Yeah I'll dig through my library and see if I have a good example on hand.

To my eye that's just a sign of a forged guard. You see that kind of "pancake" effect on earlier ita plate tsuba.

I thought the surface looked a bit iffy in those pics too, but now I'm not so sure...looks OK here.

Those areas are also the most corroded on the plate, tough to put much stock into that I think. The eyebrows are rendered with too much depth for this to be cast IMO, and the scales on the kozuka side of the body have a nicely layered effect that would get murdered by a casting attempt. And I still go back to the seppa dai, some clear activity there which supports this being a worked guard.

Evidence of forging/folding on the seppa dai and the carving looks too crisp to be cast.

Firing crack detail, a defining characteristic of Iga ware.

Had a minute to do some reading this evening and wanted to give this a quick update. First, based on a couple period examples, the grid and dot pattern is most likely a reference to a type of fabric, which ties in with the overall theme. I've also added a few pictures of another blossom viewing screen, this one by Amagi Sōchū (early-mid 17th C.). Set in the Eastern hills of Kyoto, note the various curtain set-ups used to distinguish different parties and offer a touch of privacy. The last is a profile shot of a clog-shaped Oribe-guro chawan to illustrate the inspiration for this guinomi.

Thanks Thomas, and Brian I'm glad you got something out of it! The world of Japanese ceramics is massive, and I find them fascinating in the same way as blades, fittings etc.

Haha that's brilliant. You learn something new everyday!

A Sumo umpire rolling with a sword and gunbai?

Nice to see some ceramics being shared here lately, allow me to chime in with my latest acquisition. Oribe are simply some of my favorite pieces, and while no doubt more famously known for copper green glazes featuring bold, vibrant brushwork (Ao-Oribe), there lies a substyle called black Oribe (Kuro-Oribe or Oribe-guro). Vessel shapes and motifs are carried over for the most part, but the dark and rich glaze presents us with an entirely different feel. Black (Raku) was heavily favored by tea master Sen no Rikyu (and despised by Hideyoshi), so it seems only natural that some wares bearing his successor's name (Furuta Oribe) continued that trend. Kuro-Oribe works form an aesthetic middle ground between the zen influenced cosmos of Raku, and the powerful exuberance of Ao-Oribe. Adding a good black Oribe has been on my list for several months now, and that is far easier said than done. Not many potters seem to specialize in it, and some who do (looking at you, Suzuki Goro) command very high prices. Teppei Terada was one of the few artists I came across in my wheelhouse; affordable pieces conveying a specific sensibility. Luckily for me, a favorite vessel type came up for sale with another personal favorite motif, which is what we have here. This guinomi is rendered in a classic low-slung shape, but instead of being circular (wan-gata), it borrows inspiration from the clog shaped chawan of the Momoyama/early Edo period known as kutsu-gata. As is the case with many Oribe works there are multiple motifs shown, which can be independent of one another or combined to form a common theme. The crackled white is decorated with outdoor curtains on the front, while the back is a geometric pattern. It could be simply that, however I've read it can also symbolize a fence or gate, much like one you'd find adjacent to a tea house. Inside sits a lone stylized cherry blossom alongside something that I really have no idea about, which is not uncommon with many Oribe wares being a bit abstract. Surrounding these elements is a luscious black glaze that flashes chocolate brown and bronze hues at the edges. Its application is careful without being contrived, and organic without being messy. A prominent, well-formed foot supports the piece and contrasts beautifully with the irregular bowl. The piece as a whole displays a hanami, or flower viewing, which is seen on period Oribe vessels. Below is a screen from Kano Naganobu's "Merrymaking Under the Cherry Blossoms", an early 17th C. work that is now designated as a National Treasure. To the left you can see where the curtain motif is derived and they are a fixture of many hanami paintings, often rendered in wonderful patterns and colors keeping with the time. Overall, it's a light-hearted motif that captures the changing of the seasons and the splendor of entertainment being shared with good company. Don't forget the sake!

Decided to give it a go with my kiseto yunomi this morning. While having a whisk with a long handle certainly helps, it was pretty easy to prepare even with the limited space. Tastes just as good, and I got the usual puzzled looks from my co-workers so all is right with the world on this fine Friday morning.

Hitsu-ana are not a convincing shape IMO and it looks like it was made yesterday; no age to the piece whatsoever.

Yeah that's a shame indeed, definitely appears to have been coated with something as the entire plate is the same tone of black....every crevice is covered, including the sukashi walls... Even worse is that the original really didn't appear to need too much "saving". Hard to tell what that yellowish residue is, could be just how some of the oxide build up appears in that lighting. But as you said Curran, this could have been beautifully brought back to life and I don't think it would've taken much if anything outside of the normal, accepted procedures to do so.

Patrice, The short answer to your question is the latter. You'll find some sukashi patterns that are almost entirely exclusive to a specific school, but this isn't one of them. That busy sakura/ume motif is seen on old tsuba like the one from Jim's site, then mid-Edo Umetada and Yamakichibei among many others, and finally on late mass produced, cookie cutter guards which is what I suspect the third one to be (although its horrendous condition makes it harder to properly assess).

Are you looking for a formal ranking or member's opinions? If the former, Robert Yellin's site has some solid information in the "who's who" section that includes periodic rankings, awards etc. http://www.e-yakimono.net/html/whoiswho.html If you're wondering who WE think are the top five...well it's no doubt highly subjective, there are just so many different wares and sub-styles within them. But if you're just wanting to see some eye candy, here are my five for pure aesthetic enjoyability (in no particular order): - Suzuki Goro - Koie Ryoji - Abe Anjin - Handeishi Kawakita - Watanabe Aiko (not at all in the same league as the others, more of a personal favorite. I simply adore her work and rarely come across a piece I don't love)

Hey Curran, I agree with Philip on Mr. Yellin's site, it gives a nice basic rundown of kils, shapes etc. Some enjoyable articles as well that highlight specific potters or exhibitions. I'd also pick up the book Turning Point: Oribe and the Arts of 16th C. Japan. It can be found for short money on eBay and is a wonderful reference. Many famous, high level period pieces are shown and the write ups are fantastic. It doesn't cover all types of course given the title, but will provide a solid background on Mino, Seto, Bizen, Iga/Shigaraki and a few others. It also discusses at length historical context, how the tea ceremony evolved under Furuta Oribe and became tailor made for the warrior class. As a text on Momoyama/early Edo arts in general, many nice paintings are shown as well along with clothing and other everyday items.

Ah Steve, that's fantastic. Wonderful information! Thank you so much for taking the time, it is greatly appreciated!

Nonsense Jean, that's a big help! I was hoping it would have a date and given that along with the location and dimensions, I can reasonably assume it was written by the potter as opposed to being notes from a previous caretaker. Thank you so much for taking the time!

Hello everyone! This paper came with a guinomi I acquired a few months back, but I didn't even know until a few days ago! It was tucked inside the folded cloth that came with the cup and I'd love to know what it says. If anyone here wouldn't mind I'd greatly appreciate it. Thank you!

Now that's interesting... Those look like arrows with the concave end and no taper to the body. The curvature of the design in your first post still screams gunbai to me though...

I'd bet on those being gunbai (fans).

I'll take any excuse to buy another, so consider it done! And thanks! I quite enjoy it and it's good size for my preference. I thought it was interesting to see such a nice kiseto piece from an artist known pretty much entirely for Iga work. Henry, Very nice plates, I'm a big fan of bold and colorful Oribe serving dishes and plates. They provide the perfect canvas for Oribe work IMO, wide open spaces and plenty of angles to bounce patterns off. I'm basically clueless when it comes to dating late Edo and Meiji. It does look like they could have a bit of age though. I really like the feet and the colors/motifs are classic.