Chawan / Hamada / Kato / Mino / Tsujimura
Three Ki-Seto Works by Hori Ichiro
Hori Ichiro’s(b.1952) Ki-Seto (Ki is yellow) is not fired in a saggar like most Mino potters. This labor-intensive way follows in the tradition of his teacher Kato Kozo (Living National Treasure for Black Seto) who studied with the first Mino Living National Treasure, the late great Arakawa Toyozo (Shino and Black Seto). Being of such impeccable pedigree and with a sense like those of ancient potters, Hori’s Ki-Seto is alive and simply one of the best, if not the best, Ki-Seto in Japan today. We find various yellow-textured tones combined with toasty scorch markings (koge) of brown and black over most of his work that comes from ash deposits and the flow of the kiln’s flame. Here is a jar-tsubo(29.5cm.tall), a smaller work(22cm.tall) and a chawan; all have forms that are ‘alive.’ We visited Hori and more Ki-Seto to arrive to the gallery in a week or so, guinomi and tokkuri. The larger work is On Reserve, the smaller one is 140,000 yen and the chawan is On Reserve.