Robert Yellin on tue 30 jun 98
Greetings from Japan-
A wonderful exhibition just opened in Tokyo today covering fifteen
generations of
the Raku family- entitled 'Raku- A Dynasty of Japanese Ceramists' it is
an incredible chance to see how this family has evolved in making
tea utensils for the Way of Tea for 400 hundred years. From the
spirtitual Chojiro(the 1st Raku
artist:?-1589) through to the modern sculptural 15th
generation(Kichizaemon b.1949)
this rare chance to see all generations side by side is a must.
A very thorough catalog has been published in a limited edition of 3,000
copies and
I'm sure it will sell out in a matter of weeks considering the pillar of
Japanese
culture that the Raku family is. If any of Clayart's readers are
interested in getting a
copy please e-mail me. The catalog is all-color photos of the 106 pieces
on display;
mostly tea bowls with a few scultural pieces(most notably Chojiro's
Lion) and the current
Raku's tea caddies and water jars. The opening essays are in Japanese
but a list of
all pieces and background info on each piece in English is provided in
the back of the book
as well as B&W photos of the Raku studio and home. 221 pages.
Also just in Hamada and Kawai catalogs from National Museum shows that
cover their
respective careers- all essays in both English and Japanese as well as
English captions
for all pieces. Single copies.
From a still Nippon night-
Robert Yellin
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