119. Large Oribe altered platter, ca. 1920

119. Large Oribe altered platter, ca. 1920

 

 

 

 

 

Coarse gray clay, glazed in green, yellow, and cream; slip decorations in brown, foot ring and part of base left unglazed. Weight: 1538 g (3.4 lb). Rim dimensions: 32.7 x 27.7 cm (13 x 11 in); foot ring diameter: 15.3 cm (6 in). Height: 4.5 cm (1-3/4 in).

The date is that given by the seller, who researched the artist’s mark on the base and found the same mark on pots dating to the late Taisho, early Showa periods, roughly 1912–30.

This sits on the base of the foot ring. On the exterior the foot ring is about 0.6 cm (¼ in) high; the interior of the base has been hollowed out to a depth of about 1 cm (3/8), The artist’s mark was pressed into the interior of the base. The characters are in seal script and the lines very faint. From the foot ring, the sides rise in a shallow outward arc to the rim. Along what are now the long sides of the plate, the middle section of each side has been curled inward to create a semi-straight line. On each of these sections are three semi-circular dents of uneven size and irregular spacing; they match the spacing of my fingers and may have been made by pressing the fingers into the clay. Each of the shorter sides also has three semi-circular dents. These are more evenly spaced and more regular in shape; they appear to have been made by pressing something like the handle of a tool into the clay. There are three holes in the walls of the plate along the shorter sides, two on one side and one on the other. The ends of a handle (probably made of plated vegetable stalks—rattan or bamboo fibers—wrapped around a metal wire) would have been inserted into these holes.

The bottom of the foot ring and the outer portions of the interior of the base were left unglazed. Judging from the overlays of the glazes, the cream portion was laid down first along the interior and portions of the exterior. The yellow glaze was next, followed by the green glaze. The cream is visible only in the portion of the interior surface not covered by the other glazes, along one portion of the exterior rim otherwise covered by the green glaze, a portion of the exterior walls just above the foot ring in the area of the green glaze, and in the interior of the base. A brown slip was used to paint two chrysanthemum-like flowers on the interior of the dish in the cream area, and half a chrysanthemum on the cream-colored area along the rim. The cream-colored areas have a fine crackling. Incised into the area of the interior covered by the yellow glaze are the leaves, flowers, and stems of a plant.

This piece is unusual not only for its size and altered shape but for the combination of painted and incised designs. Considering its age, it is in good condition; the bottom in particular shows signs of wear and use. About the only use I can imagine for this is to present a selection of sushi.

Purchased in March 2021 from Stoneware Treasury in Bangkok, Thailand.

118. John Riley, altered, wood-fired vase

 118. John Riley, altered, wood-fired vase

 

 

Riley is based in Washington, D.C. He makes “high-fire functional pottery.” For more on him and other examples of his work, visit his webpage: www.johnrileypottery.com, or his Instagram account @johnrileypottery.

Riley gives this description of the making of this pot: “This small vase was wheel thrown and the clay was altered after which it was glazed in a shino and fired in the wood kiln. The atmosphere and ash from the wood kiln leaves darker, rust colored areas along the altered/scraped section of the pot and on the raw clay bottom.”

Gray clay, light green Shino glaze on interior and most of exterior, over a dark brown slip; base and bottom portion of exterior walls left unglazed. Weight: 510 g (1.1 lb). Rim diameter: 3.8 cm (1-1/2 i

This sits directly on the flat base. The remains of the posts used to separate pots in firing are visible on the bottom. The walls rise from the base in a shallow convex arc to the shoulders, which are 9.5 cm (3-3/4 in) above the base. The diameter at the shoulders is 7.7 cm (3 in), only slightly narrower than that of the base. The maximum diameter of 9 cm (3-1/2 in) lies 4.8 cm (1-7/8 in) above the base. Above the shoulders, the walls curve inward in a convex arc to the neck, which is 10.8 cm (4-1/14 in) above the base and 4.2 cm (1-5/8 in) wide at the lower end. The neck curves inward slightly and then outward to the rim. The surface of the pot was scraped, creating vertical striations; it appears that something like a metal comb was used. The texture is ribbed from the vertical striations. The potter’s mark “JR” inside a circle was pressed into the side wall of the pot just above the base.

A Shino glaze was applied over this on the interior and the exterior down to about 2.5 cm (1 in) up from the base. The striations down the external walls of the pot and the unglazed portions turned a reddish-brown from the wood-firing. The reddish-brown colors are heavier in some areas than others. The Shino glaze coated the interior only lightly, and the reddish-brown color predominates. On the exterior walls, the green glaze coats the neck and shoulders completely; the coverage on the side walls varies. There are a few areas of light ash deposits, mostly in the neck and shoulder areas.

Purchased from the artist, June 2021.

117. Dorothy “Dot” Teale, 1921-2018, small pot

 117. Dorothy “Dot” Teale, 1921-2018, small pot

 

Teale was active as a potter and a ceramics teacher from around the end of WWII at various places in the mid-Atlantic area of the United States.

Dark reddish chocolate clay with added iron flakes, interior and top of exterior light blue glaze; rest of exterior unglazed. Weight: 464 g (1 lb). Rim diameter: 4.7 cm (1-3/4 in); maximum diameter 9.3 cm (3-1/4 in); foot ring diameter, 6 cm (2-5/16 in). Height: 7.3 cm (2-7/8 in).

For its size, this is a heavy pot. The base and side walls of the body of the pot are quite thick. I estimate them to be over a centimeter thick (ca. 3/8 in). This sits on the base of the foot ring, which is 0.3 cm (1/8 in high). The interior of the foot ring has been hollowed out to the same distance. “Dot Teale” was incised within the foot ring. Above the foot, the body of the pot flares out in a straight line at a shallow upward angle, reaching the maximum diameter of 9.3 cm (3-1/4 in) 1.7 cm (5/8 in) above the base. The walls then angle inward slightly in more or less a straight line to the shoulders, 6.8 cm (2-11/16 in) above the base. At the shoulders, the diameter of the pot is 7.7 cm (3 in). Above the shoulders, the walls slope inward at a slight upward angle to the rim of the pot, which has a slightly raised rounded lip. Above the shoulders, the walls of the pots are much thinner.  Vertical and horizontal straight lines were incised into the unglazed portion of the sides of the pot. Their placement seems random; they don’t repeat in a recognizable series or form a picture. There is another series of short vertical and horizontal lines at the shoulder, mostly covered by the glaze. The exterior texture of the pot is quite rough, due to the addition of the iron flakes to the clay.

The interior and the upper part of the exterior down to the shoulders were glazed in a light blue, much freckled with black spots, perhaps the result of an interaction between the glaze and the iron flakes. The glazed portion is lower on one side of the pot.

This has a blunt, direct impact. It's bold and coarse, lacking in the smoothness and finesse that carefully finished pieces have. There is no symmetry or pattern in it. Even the glaze is uneven and full of "flaws." It's heavy in more than just its weight.

Purchased in June 2021 from Gallery4Art.

116. Jake Brodsky, wood-fired oval bottle vase with handles

116. Jake Brodsky, wood-fired oval bottle vase with handles

 

 

 

 

Brodsky is from and currently resides in Montana. He has studied potting throughout the United States and 2023 he obtained an MFA in the New York State Ceramics Program at Alfred University. He states that his aim is “to create work that captures the sensory experience of environments of the natural world. I want my pots to transmit the feeling of a place and a time, while also capturing the touch and tension of the moment in time when they were made. In order for a person to understand my work, I feel that my pots need to be handled, examined, and lived with over time, as they reveal themselves like a landscape.” For other examples of his work and more about him and his goals, visit his website: jakebrodskyceramincs.com or his Instagram account: @jakebrodskyceramics.

He gave this explanation of the formation of this pot: “It is thrown round on the wheel without a bottom, and then altered while the clay is wet into the oval shape. Then when it has stiffened up a bit, I add a slab on the bottom and dry it slowly.”

Dark chocolate clay, unglazed, colors from wood-firing. Weight: 678 g (1.5 lb). Mouth dimensions: 2.8 x 3.2 cm (1-1/8 x 1-1/4 in); maximum dimensions (without handles): 7.5 x 12.5 cm (3 x 5 in); maximum width (with handles): 14.8 cm (5-7/8 in); base dimensions: 7.2 x 12 cm (2-7/8 x 4-13/16). Height: 15.2 cm (6 in).

This sits on the edges of the base, which is slightly concave. On the long sides of the base are two semi-circular indents, which look like there were impressed into the clay with something like the handle of a tool. The remains of the wads used to separate pots during firing are visible on the base. The base is slightly larger than the body of the body and is about 0.6 cm (1/4 in) thick. Above the base the walls of the body proper angle out slightly for about 5 cm (2 in) to reach the maximum dimensions. From there the walls curve inward to the neck, which is an oval roughly 3.8 x 4.7 cm (1-1/2 x 1-7/8 in). The neck is 12.5 cm (5 in) above the base. Above the neck the pot flares out into a ridge and then angles inward in more or less a straight line to the mouth. The bottom ends of the handles are at roughly the widest point of the body. The surface texture is quite rough and uneven due to ash deposits from the wood-firing. The artist's mark, an asterisk shape inside a circle, was impressed into one side of the vase just above the base.

This is unglazed. The colors range from a light cream through shades of brown to black. In certain lights, the pot has almost a golden sheen. There are heavy ash deposits on both sides; they show up in the photographs as the lighter areas.

When I saw this for the first time, I let out a feral growl of delight. It’s a great visual and wonderfully tactile object. Potters can’t control the minute details of what happens in a kiln during a wood-firing, but they can create the conditions that make good things happen. This pot is a splendid example of technique and skill making the best of natural forces.

Purchased from the artist in June 2021.

 

115. Mitch Yung, wood-fired square vase

115. Mitch Yung, wood-fired square vase

 

 

 

 

 

For Yung, see item 108.

Brown stoneware, interior has Shino glaze; exterior unglazed but colored by wood-firing. Weight: 1428 g (3 lb). Top piece dimensions: roughly 6.3 cm square (2-1/2 in); width of sides: 9.3­–9.6 cm (3-5/8 – 3-3/4 in); height of sides: 19.6 cm (7-7/8 in). overall height: 22.5 cm (8-1/2 in).

This is a built-up piece made from four slabs for the sides, with an insert at the top to form the mouth. It sits on four legs, each about 1.3 cm (1/2 in) tall; protective felt disks were affixed to the undersides of the legs. Each side was scored with four irregularly space and uneven vertical grooves for its entire length. At the top, the upper ends of the sides slant slightly upward. The top is a squarish insert. Where it meets the sides, it angles outward for about a quarter inch. The upper side slants inward toward the square mouth from each side, creating diagonal lines from the corners of the outer square to the corners of the mouth. The artist’s mark, a stamped “Y,” was pressed into the exterior side of one of the legs (see the fourth photo).

Yung provides this description of the construction and firing of the piece: “Wood-fired stoneware with small feldspathic stone inclusions. Fired to cone 9-10 and reduction cooled, with a unglazed exterior highlighted by the natural flames in the kiln and a shino glazed interior. Slab built construction and carved to expose the coarse texture of the clay, sanded after firing to ensure a smooth surface. This was in a cooler and quieter spot in the kiln, it has some lovely subtle flame work on a toasty unglazed wild clay-body. Some of my best oranges come from the back of the kiln.” 

The top and on the upper parts of two of the sides show more darkening from the wood smoke. The other two sides have almost no blackening. The surface of this has a few rough spots.

Great colors on this. Deceptively coarse and simple-looking, this is a solid and substantial work—if Brutalism came to pottery, this is what it would look like.

Purchased from the artist, June 2021.

 

114. Mitch Yung, wood-fired, small pot with inlaid Mishima-style design

114. Mitch Yung, wood-fired, small pot with inlaid Mishima-style design

 

 

 

 

 

For Yung, see item 108.

Dark brown stoneware, interior Shino glazed, exterior decorated with inlaid porcelain slip; colors from wood-firing. Weight: 374 g (13.5 oz). Rim diameter: 6.8 cm (2-11/16 in); maximum diameter: 10 cm (4 in); foot ring diameter: 6 cm (2-3/8 in). Height: 10.7 cm (4-1/4 in).

This sits on the base of the foot ring. The exterior of the foot ring is 1 cm (3/8 in) high; the interior was hollowed out to about half this height. The artist’s mark, a capital “Y,” was pressed into the exterior of the foot ring. From the foot ring, the walls of the pot rise in a continuous convex arc to the neck. The maximum diameter of 10 cm (4 in) lies 5 cm (2 in) above the base, or just below the midpoint. The neck is 7 cm (2-3/4 in) in diameter, and the beginning of the neck lies 9.3 cm (3-5/8 in) above the base. The walls of the neck angle inward very slightly to the rim. The exterior walls of the pot were incised with closely spaced, irregular vertical lines from the neck to the foot ring; a porcelain slip was used to fill in these lines, and the exterior was then sanded to ensure a smooth surface (the technique used in Mishima-wares in Japan).

The interior of the pot has a Shino glaze; the exterior was left unglazed. The pot was wood-fired to cone 10 and reduction cooled. The wood-firing colored the interior red and a smoky gray. The interior has many of the pinprick spots for which the Shino glaze is known. The exterior was colored a reddish brown in some areas. There is a small ash deposit on the neck and the adjacent wall on one side.

This and the preceding item demonstrate this artist’s skill in using the inlaid Mishima technique for decorating pots.

Purchased from the artist, June 2021.

 

113. Mitch Yung, wood-fired moon jar–shaped pot with inlaid Mishima-style design

 113. Mitch Yung, wood-fired moon jar–shaped pot with inlaid Mishima-style design

For Yung, see item 108.

Dark stoneware clay, inlaid porcelain slip; the interior of the pot was glazed; colors from wood-firing. Weight: 818 g (1.8 lb). Rim diameter: 8.5 cm (3-3/8 in); maximum diameter: 13.3 cm (5-1/2 in); foot ring diameter: 7.8 cm (3-1/8 in). Height: 14.3 cm (5-5/8 in).

“Moon jar” is Yung’s description of the shape.

This sits on the base of the foot ring. The foot ring is 1.2 cm (1/2 in) high on the exterior and about half that depth on the interior. Above the foot, the walls rise in a continuous convex arc to the neck. The maximum diameter of 13.3 cm (5-1/2 in) lies 7.6 cm (3 in) above the base. At the bottom the neck is 9.3 cm (3-5/8 in) in diameter and lies 12.7 cm (5 in) above the base. The walls of the neck angle inward slightly in a straight line to the rim.

The interior of the pot was glazed; it has been colored by the wood-firing. The exterior is unglazed. The design was inlaid in the Mishima style; the surface of the pot was incised and stamped to form depressions, the area was coated with a white porcelain slip, and the excess slip removed leaving the depressions filled. Encircling the body of the pot are three long sprigs of leaves on a stem (think rosemary). Three flower shapes mark the end and beginning of each pair of sprigs. Above this are two narrow bands around the circumference of the pot. Between these bands and the neck of the pot is a block of small, repeated geometric shapes in vertical bands. The artist’s mark, a capital “Y,” appears within this block. This was wood fired. One side of the pot has an ash deposit that obscures the inlaid design. The side of the pot with the ash deposit has a glossy surface from melted ash. The exterior surface is rough to the touch.

Nice rich colors from the wood-firing. A well-shaped pot. The curves of the sprigs echo the curves of the pot. The design is a nice combination of sinuous curves and more rigid shapes.

Purchased from the artist, June 2021.