Quote:
Originally Posted by u bada
However, I thought raku is japanese?
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It's a bit complicated.
The original Raku name is a term used for a specific type of Japanese pottery—that which has been made using the inherited techniques of the Raku family, by the descendants of the Raku family. In this strict sense, a piece of pottery cannot be called a piece of Raku or Raku-ware unless it has been made by that family.
However, in the 1940s and 50s, American potters went to go study in Japan, resulting in many imitations and adaptations of traditional Japanese techniques by American potters. While the term Raku was originally a family name, many American potters borrowing those techniques, not knowing better, simply called the technique Raku, and with the popularization of the american adaptations of those techniques by Paul Soldner in the 1960s, the name stuck.
Nowadays, American Raku is probably the better way to refer to the American adaptation of those techniques, keeping the simple term Raku reserved for the works created by the Raku family.
To complicate things even further though, even in Japan, there are potters who make pottery using the techniques borrowed from the Raku family, calling their wares Raku, even though that is technically incorrect.
In any case, this specific pot was created by a Korean potter, who has borrowed the techniques of both the traditional Japanese Raku-ware, as well as techniques from American Raku. It is neither true Raku nor American Raku, although it is more similar in style and technique to American Raku. Because of that, I referred to it as having been made with "raku techniques" rather than simply saying it was a Raku pot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by u bada
Are neo pots from korean typically like that one, bit more cylindrical with the legs as low horizontal pieces? or is that a more modern style updated look?
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This design is more the style of the specific potter using a more modern look than an example of Korean neo pots as a whole.
Purpose made Neo pots from Korea are generally not much different from Neo pots made in Japan. However, each individual potter has their own styles, and Korean potters do seem to break away from certain traditional norms more often than Japanese potters.
Quote:
Originally Posted by u bada
Ya know, I forgot what otakamaru was then looked it up and I know that one, never noticed the leaf shape being particular and those vendors that have it listed never noted this feature. interesting. the combo of leaf shape, growth habit and variegation does make your shima form striking.
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The bulging lower leaves is a defining characteristic for Otakamaru. And is one of the key differences between Otakamaru and the similar looking Isechabo (The others are rounder leaf tips and thicker leaves)
It is a bit of a problem that many vendors overlook that characteristic, but on top of that, with the standard unvariegated Otakamaru being seed propagable, there's quite a bit of variation between individuals. Some have longer leaves, some shorter, and more importantly, some clearly show the bulge, while others do not. Many of those seedlings are indistinguishable from Isechabo, and others have even longer leaves making them look more like a standard Neo.
Sometimes it's up to the collector to be discerning enough to buy the best specimens of a variety they are looking for. Occasionally a vendor will purposefully omit some information in a description to better match their lower quality stock, and other vendors will simply not understand the varieties they sell very thoroughly.
When looking for a good specimen of Otakamaru or Otakamaru-Shima, the stouter the leaves, and rounder the leaf tips the better, and always look for those bulging lower leaves.
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