234. MURAKOSHI Takuma , 1954- , “Ganbaruman,” ash-glazed Shigaraki-ware vase

234. MURAKOSHI Takuma  村越琢磨, 1954- , “Ganbaruman がんばるまん” (Stick-with-it-Man) ash-glazed Shigaraki-ware vase 

To quote Robert Mangold of the Kura Monzen Gallery: “Murakoshi Takuma is one of those enigmas who simply lives to work with clay. He does not seek to make a living through pottery, but through his primal approach has earned a following which keeps his work in high demand. He was born in Shinshiro-shi in Aichi Prefecture in 1954 and began his stroll down the pottery path in 1980 under the tutelage of Kyoto potter Umehara Takehira. Favoring very rough Shigaraki clay, he established his own kiln in 1997 in the Kiyomizu pottery district of Kyoto, then moved to Nagaoka in 2002. Although eschewing the world of competitive exhibitions, he has been picked up by many of Japan’s preeminent galleries, including private exhibitions at the prestigious Kuroda Toen of Tokyo’s Ginza District.  

In a printed leaflet accompanying this piece, Murakoshi characterizes his approach to pottery as “First, the clay; second, the fire; third, the technique.” He uses clay from Shigaraki mixed with natural ash and fires his pieces in high heat. 

The piece is part of a series of similarly shaped pots all entitled “Ganbaruman.” The “man” here is the English word, as in Superman. Ganbaru means “to persevere,” but it is often used colloquially to encourage others and is equivalent to “Keep at it,”or “Stick with it,” or “Don’t give up.” So, “Stick-with- it-Man.” I don’t know the number of this particular iteration; a posting to Murakoshi’s Instagram account (@takuma.murakoshi) dated September 3, 2020 pictures no. 10 in the series. A posting dated to December 2019 shows nos 5 and 6. So he has been making these for a few years. The 2020 posting also refers to that pot as being part of the Jindai ni gyakkō shirizu 時代に逆行シリズ, or “Running counter to the times series.” This means something similar to Huysman’s À rebours and gets at the mindset behind the shaping of the pot. 

Gray clay, with natural ash glazing and kiln colors in the reddish-pink, brown, gray, and black ranges, with natural ash glazing across most of the surface. The only unaffected sections are the bases of the feet on which this sits. The ash melt and glazing are heavy, even on the interior. There is a pool of vitrified, dark green, glass-like glaze on the bottom of the interior. On the exterior similar accretions of bidoro glazing are found in the many grooves on the piece. Beads of this glaze are present on the underside of the body. 

Weight: 4.2 kg (9.4 lb). Height: 22.8 cm (9 in). Width (maximum): 24 x 16.5 cm (9-1/2 x 6-1/4 in). 

Any attempt to pin this piece down to exact measurements will fail. This sits on four flat tires positioned near the ends of an oval base. The base sags downward toward the center of the piece, as if the feet and base were being crushed by the weight of the body. The body is a rough oval in cross-section, moving inward to the narrowest point at the neck. Above the neck the walls flare outward toward the rim, again a rough oval 10.2 x 9 cm (4 x 3/12 in). The two handles, or Ganbaruman’s arms bow outward in a convex arc from the shoulders to the base (Ganbaruman’s hips). This is a caricature of the human body. Mangold describes it as “A frumpy vase in ash glaze, settled down on its haunches like some tough guy, hands on hips.” The surface is rough and pitted. 

Unglazed before firing, with kiln colors and natural ash glazing. 

This came in a wooden box inscribed by Murakoshi in his distinctive calligraphy. As is his wont, the inscription begins on top of the box and continues down one side. The inscription is written in hiragana and reads: がんばるまん (ganbaruman) and たくま (Takuma). The top is stamped in red with a seal with Murakoshi’s studio name: へうげも屋  (Hyōgemono-ya, “Jocular Fellow Studio”; interestingly he uses the kyūkanazukai, or old kana usage, to write hyō. Hyōgemono is also the name of a popular nanga character. On the side of the box is another seal stamped in red, giving Takuma in characters, 琢磨. Included in the box were a brown wrapping cloth and a printed leaflet from Murakoshi. 

Purchased from the Kura Monzen Gallery in Kyoto, October 2023. The Gallery hosted an exhibition of Murakoshi’s works in October 2023.