Thursday, March 20, 2008

Inspiration

The UPS truck just left and I have this wonderful book that I have wanted for a couple years now. It is from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and was published to accompany the exhibition "Turning Point: Oribe and the Arts of Sixteenth-Century Japan" in 2004.
It's chocked full for beautiful objects, pottery, panels, wooden boxes, fabrics. I love Oribe ware. I love the designs, the asymmetrical patterns, the green glaze. It will good to learn more about the history of this work.

I saw this book in the ASU library when Sarah was in grad school there. I feel in love with this ewer. I think it's my favorite pot of all time. Well one of the top 5 anyhow. It is Mino ware, Shino Oribe type, stoneware. H. 19.4 cm Diam. at base 12.1 cm. That drawing is not a mouse but a horned owl. This pots does it all for me. It's fun, playful, utilitarian, it has great simple decoration that is ordered but loose at the same time. The glaze is crazed and stained with use and age.I've not tried to make this pot but it will be inspiration for sure.