This April, the long-awaited Iga Ceramics Museum opened in Iga-Ueno.

I read in that blog post that "When Basho was 41 years old, he returned to Iga to visit his mother's grave, and on his way back to Edo, he composed the linked verse poem 'Winter Day' with a group of people from Nagoya, establishing the Basho style."

Basho's literary spirit was to "correct commonplace language and slang" through his own haikai poetry, and this was supported by the haikai poets from various regions who were associated with his group.

I wrote, "I hope that the Iga Pottery Museum 'Marunouchi Club' will become a gathering place for local people and contribute to the advancement of Iga ware, which is highly artistic."

The ceramic artists featured in the "Tea Ceremony Ceramics: Six Artists from Iga" exhibition are six representative contemporary artists from Iga whose works are exhibited at the Iga Ceramics Museum.

The subtitle, "Flowers Coming and Going Year After Year," is an excerpt from Zeami's Noh play book, "Fūshikaden," specifically from the seventh section, "Separate Oral Transmission," and was chosen to express hopes for the future success of the six performers.

new schoolThis "Iga Shinogi Tea Bowl" is a powerful tea bowl that conveys the energy of the clay, created using the hollowing-out technique. Two streaks of glaze flow between the green glass glaze and black charring, characteristic of Iga ware, creating a natural landscape. The rim is undulating like a mountain path, matching the overall form of the tea bowl and enhancing its sense of tension.

Tomohisa ObanaThe "Iga White Tea Bowl" is a flat tea bowl in the style of Song dynasty porcelain, fired with a white glaze typical of Kyoto ware. It is a generously sized summer tea bowl with a diameter of 20 centimeters. Obana studied under American ceramic artist Darren Damonte and has exhibited his work in galleries both in Japan and abroad. Perhaps because of this, his style is remarkably free.

Daisuke SuzukiHe was born in Sendai City. He began making pottery while attending Chuo University, and, inspired by Joseon Dynasty pottery, traveled to Korea to learn pottery techniques. After returning to Japan, he established his own studio in Shigaraki, but was captivated by Iga ware and moved to Iga. This "Iga Tea Bowl" is a shoe-shaped tea bowl characterized by a large gap in the surface, with a green glass glaze running over a black charred area.

Takashi TanimotoThis "Iga Eared Flower Vase" has a rounded bulge at the mouth and in the middle of the body, with the body boldly flattened. Two ears are attached to the mouth, and there is black charring from the foot to the body, with three spatula marks on the side. The appearance differs greatly between the side facing the flame and the side facing the flame.

Kazuhiro FukushimaThis "Iga tea bowl" is made using a technique of hollowing out a block of clay. It is fired in a wood-fired kiln, and after being removed and cooled 70 hours after firing, the glassy glaze becomes a brilliant bluish-white. The rim is made thicker everywhere except for one small drinking spout, which is said to be done to enhance the glassy effect.

Maya FukushimaThis "Iga water container" is made by shaping the base on a potter's wheel and then attaching a slab of clay with a pattern copied onto it. It is a water container with large handles, which are not found in old Iga ware, and is topped with pine ash glaze, abstractly representing the landscape of Iga. Having studied Japanese painting in university, the artist creates works while contemplating visual expression.

Koichi Mori (Art critic, Standing Director of the Japan Ceramic Society)