John Baymore on sat 25 apr 98
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Recently, Mel-san said (in part):
(Clip)
shino as a glaze has its history deep in japan. .......... it was
applied thick, had huge pinholes, was very white, almost like frosting
............. what most of you are talking about is =60not=60 classic =
shino..
it is =60western shino=60 ...................if you were to hold my =
=60arakawa=60
tea bowl, with its white shino glaze, and simple pattern of orange iron
wash beneath, most would say... =60what the hell kind of glaze is this?=60 =
and
if i told you that it was original shino, you would say...=60the hell you
say=60.
(Snip)
Oh so very true Mel=21 From deep in Chado (Way of Tea), which I guess
expresses the soul of Japan. Like American Raku, American Shino has
evolved into a more flashy, dramatic, overstated version of its tea-ware
bretheren in Japan. The old American......bigger is better......
philosophy strikes again =3Cg=3E.
It is sort of funny this poped up on CLAYART today. Just yesterday a
potter interested in my summer workshop stopped by my studio to see the
noborigama and was talking about his love of, and great experimentation
with, shino glazes. After a long discussion about this subject, I asked
him if he had ever been to Japan or had ever handled =22the real thing=22. =
He
said no.... so I went to my collection and brought out a piece. Told him
he'd be suprised.
The piece I selected is a press moulded bottle about 10=22 tall which I got
in late autumn of 1996 while in the Seto/Tajimi/Mino area. My visitor was
amazed. First of all it is very =22quiet=22......which is why it is =
stunning.
The white thick areas are very, very white, and have a glossy almost
enamel-like quality. Where the glaze is very thin, it is less glossy, and
very red-orange. It tends to be either very white or very red..... there
is no overall warm =22blushing=22.
While the American glaze tends to crawl and bead up where thick, this piece
has large and numerous pinholes (almost enough to be like light orange-peel
in salt firing). Where the glaze is thinner and over iron bearing slip,
the pinholes are more numerous and are more like =22pits=22.
Where the iron slip was painted under the glaze, the pattern is very faint
and sort of blue-grey (not exactly nezume shino color but close)..... like
looking at trees through a thick fog. At most pinholes located over the
iron slip, the glaze tends to have a slight red blush along the edges of
the pinholes. Most of the other pinholes have no redish tendencies.
Where the iron slip is under thinner glaze areas, it is dramatic in
contrast and quite iron red compared to the white of the glaze over the
very light clay body. Where the glaze is very thin, the red fire color is
dramatic..... but there are less areas of it than is typical on American
pieces, and it tends to a more orange-red (sort of like the color of the
old raw PBX fireclay). Along the terminalton of the glaze coating where
the raw clay of the foot begins there is a very thin redish-orange line on
the edge of the glaze.
The qualities of this piece are quite typical of many of the revered
historical pieces I saw while there..... which is one of the reasons why I
liked it.
So...... the visiting potter WAS suprised....... and quickly fell in love
with this new glaze which he'd never seen before (but thought he knew
well). He now has a new definition of =22shino=22 that is broader. And he
will go off in search of a quieter, more traditional shino glaze to add to
his pallate, I think.
BTW..... along this line of thought......... while in Japan I saw the work
of a few of the American potters whose work is commonly refered to here in
the States as looking =22very Japanese=22. When looked at while actually =
being
in Japan and in the context of true Japanese pottery, it SCREAMS
..........=22American=22.
Change of reference point is an interesting thing. =22Seeing the West from
the East=22 ..... to corrupt the Hamada Shoji quote a bit.
The pursuit of shino for most people here in the States might be compared
to a student of a religon that had spent his or her life reading books
based upon someone else's translations of the sacred texts. When that
student eventually aquires the ability to read the texts in the original
language..... he or she usually finds that many things have been lost,
altered, misunderstood, or embellished by the interpreters involved. It is
often a revelation.....sometimes shattering beliefs and sometimes greatly
deepening them.
Mata, ne' (catch you later),
....................john
PS: Mel..... you have an Arakawa-sensei piece=21 I am turning green. You
are blessed.
John Baymore
River Bend Pottery
22 Riverbend Way
Wilton, NH 03086 USA
603-654-2752
JBaymore=40Compuserve.com
Lee Love on sun 26 apr 98
Actually, the Shino used in Japan today is a reformulation too. The
original was lost.
As John mentions, traditionally Shino varied in Japan.
Some were the milky white (not my favorite), but some were blue to blue-gray
while other types were brown and/or metallic flashed, where the underglazed
iron showed through or where the glaze did not cover. I've seen examples
of each in Japan and have photos of old pieces exhibiting these varying
qualities.
I prefer to call my glazes "shino type." Shino type
glazes are feldspathic glazes that contain soluble materials and react to
iron. No Voodoo necessary in dealing with them. ;^)
/(o\' Lee In Saint Paul, Minnesota USA
\o)/' mailto:Ikiru@Kami.com i
' http://www.millcomm.com/~leelove/
GURUSHAKTI on mon 27 apr 98
Hi Everyone:
Just got back the LA and a ceramic factory auction. I want to profusely thank
whichever Clayart member mentioned that sale. I got a 1hp Bluebird de-airing
pugmill with a nice 7" hopper, for 1/5 the cost. Big thanks!
Also, for a look at an Arakawa shino tea bowl and some other wonderful
Japanese work, check out this site:
http://www2.meshnet.or.jp/~minoyaki/info_e.htm
Enjoy!
Warmest regards,
June
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