Anagama: Restoring with Gold and Identifying Fakes

Small Imari Bowl
<6.0cm h, 9.4cm d.>
Edo Period (early 17th century)

Black Oribe Tea Bowl
Momoyama Period (1573-1615)

Karatsu Sake Cup
<5.7cm h. 7.6cm d.>
Momoyama Period (early 17th century)

    When I was still at university, I used to visit Nara (an ancient capital of Japan). I always stayed at the same old inn near Todai-ji (Great Eastern temple). The inn was old enough to collapse at any time but was cheap enough for me to stay twice longer than in usual hostels. So my small budget could spend on Zen temples and museums to visit, and afford some small antiques.
    There, I met an old restorer for 'National Treasures of Shosoin'. People called him 'Sensei' (Master) with admiration. Despite our generation gap, we shared the same interest in antiques. His professional and scholarly knowledge opened my eyes to real antiquities and helped me to understand more.
    One day, I was asked to go to an old lacquer supplier in Oaska and pick up some materials for his restoration work. The following day, he taught me how to handle 'ki-urushi' (raw lacquer) and pure gold powder with other traditional restoring methods. That was how I learnt this old restoring skills called 'kin-tsugi'. I didn't know what I was going to do with the skills I learnt at that time, but liked the idea of giving a second life to vessels once thought to be dead.
    Later I learnt the old inn was a lurking place among famous scholars and artists.

    Since then I have been restoring many broken ceramics with 'kin-tsugi' and occasionally get a commission to restore old broken porcelain and pottery. I am also asked to identify Japanese antiques for museums, art dealers and private collectors.
    I feel very strange that after decades my knowledge and 'kin-tsugi' became really useful.

Yobi-tsugi :
This method has been developed for imperfect treasures. Instead of lost original pieces, some similar sherds are needed to replace them.

Tea Bowl "Gojyusan-tsugi"
<8.5cm h.>
Momoyama Period

This cylindrical Shino bowl is named after 53 inns on the "Tokaido", the main route which used to run between Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto. Because the bowl was glued together with many sherds and made into one tea bowl. Most 16th century sherds were recovered from old kiln excavations.

Tomo-naoshi :
A repair with only original pieces is called 'tomo-naoshi' or 'tomo-zukuroi'.

Tea Bowl "Jyumonji"
<14.9cm x 14.1cm d. 8.0 cm h.>
Ri Dynasty (15th-16th century)
Mitsui Bunko Museum (Tokyo)

This tea bowl was once owned by the famous samurai tea master, Furuta Oribe (1544-1615). The name "Jyumonji" (cross) was given after Oribe cut down an over-sized bowl. Interestingly, Oribe was one of earliest Christians in the 16th century feudal Japan.

    Fakes usually shows its slight sneakiness in appearance and some details (even on a bargain price tag)

    This vase was from an Internet auction. If you have never seen authentic Momoyama Iga vases before, you could easily be fooled. The vase in the picture is slightly short for this type of vase and the handles are of poor quality. The wood ash effect doesn't look natural and some chemical make-up seems to have been put on to make it appear like old patina.
    In my opinion, it was fired in a small gas kiln.

Genuine Iga flower vase

<28.6cm h.>
Momoyama Period (1573-1615)
Collection of
Tokyo National Museum

    It is said that beauty and ugliness have one origin.

    Despite both clay and glaze are as almost same as four centuries ago, this 'Black Oribe' looks suspicious in every details. The modern maker didn't seem to have a right mind-setting for reproducing the Momoyama style.
    I once met a forger who was trying to copy Momoyama pots with his electric wheel and gas kiln. I observed many weak pots like this tea bowl there.

    A faked charm works only for a short while.