Wood-fired pottery seems to love angles. Tadashi Nishihata threw this vase in a classic shape that swells in the middle and tapers equally from the foot and to the mouth. Nishihata then faceted the body in nine swirling “faces” that radiate out from the mouth.

Each side gives a defined plane for the wood firing to play against in the kiln, leaving some more orange and others a deep purple. But it’s the wood ash flowing down from the vessel’s mouth that really makes this pot come alive. This is a fine example of Tamba ware's transformation by the kiln’s multi-day firing. 

In the written statement that accompanies this piece, Nishihata outlines the eight hundred year story of Tamba ware. He splits its history into two phases: the Kamakura-Momoyama period of the single chamber, anagama kiln that produced pots glazed by natural wood ash; and the Edo period of the multi-chamber, noborigama kiln when akadobe red clay and white clay slip glazes were developed. 

Nishihata also describes how each period from Tamba’s history reflects the “unpretentious spirit of these craftsmen and the sensibility handed down through previous generations.” In this history he sees a path that leads to his practice today, and with those achievements in mind, he hopes to continue Tamba’s story with his own unique contributions.

Comes with the signed, stamped, and titled wood box, stamped wrapping cloth, and CV.