Wabi Sabi_Text_QXD:Wabi Sabi_Text_QXD 9/2/11 4:21 PM Page 82
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It is the sporadic journey of the ash that is of interest to the potter, as it is often only the ash that provides the necessary glaze. So it is the position of the pot in the kiln that determines how and where its glaze will be formed. The potter struggles to find the shapes that are hidden in the raw clay, but once he has done his utmost to bring from within himself a pure shape, he will then carefully select a section in the kiln before abandoning the pot to the whims of the ash. Every firing is different, and the results will vary enormously, so it is with some trepidation that the kiln is opened and the pots brought from their fiery tomb. The potter will look carefully at each pot and only then will he be able to say whether the firing has been a success. No piece in the kiln will be exactly the same either in shape, texture, or glaze, and herein lies so much of its appeal. After a firing there will usually be a group of enthusiasts waiting to see and maybe purchase the fruits of his labor. Despite the great difficulties and unpredictable nature of this kind of firing, it is still thought to produce the best ceramics due to the part played by nature and the organic ash glazes. Little has been done in Europe with ash glazes, but in Japan the ash glaze has been a predominant feature of pottery since its use was first discovered in the Nara period. The desire for a nonuniform surface that can catch, in the glaze of each pot, the irregularities of nature hails back to the Japanese love of things that are imperfect and incomplete. When one picks up a tea bowl that has been fired with a random ash glaze, it is hard not to be entranced by the range, depth, and flow of colors that the ash has produced—the kiln has left its indelible mark on the piece. It is not hard to understand why the tea masters and Zen monks were so drawn to this art form, which seems to provide a perfect harmony between the hand of the craftsman and the hand of nature. In such pieces of pottery can be found some wonderful wabi sabi nuances, and it is this visual and tactile appeal of pottery that has made it such an important part of the tea ceremony. During the tea ceremony, guests are invited to handle and appraise