Topic: The best glazes are by?

[dantheman]

You are absolutely correct Lynne.
I was thinking of doing a poll to find the best Pottery ever produced but realised that most is from that era of Japanese pottery production and totally out of most of the groups field of knowledge. (mine included)

[josordoni]

and contemporary of course too:  how about this one:



In fact this a wonderful site for Japanese glazes that I found after only a little browse:

http://www.e-yakimono.net/guide/assets/images/fujioka-shuhei-iga-bidoro-kai-ato-hi-iro-GB.jpg

[dantheman]

let's have a debate,we can all extol the virtues of our favorite pottery and then vote to see which one wins.
I wouldn't choose Poole though,i can see the limitations of that factory!

[josordoni]

And some of the best 18th and 19th century Japanese glaziers beat them all....

In your opinion Lynne, other?s might disagree K

Of course, only my opinion, and a very off the cuff one at that.  I love the early Poole with orangepeel black and kingfisher, I find some smooth lustre glazes like those from Pilkingtons and early Moorcroft delicious.  I find Noke's work on Chung and Sung glazes amazingly complex.

Basically I love the subtle artistry of glazes, and the chemical experimention that achieves them.

[josordoni]

'Best' is totally subjective though - in what way best?  The form, the glazes, the material used?  I really don't see how there can be a 'best' - Dan likes Poole, Lynne likes Japanese, I like West German and Italian, Kev obviously likes West German - it's horses for courses.  Whatever anyone could say about Japanese pottery (for example) being the best I could come up with an argument why it's not.  The best to me is not what might be considered to be the ultimate by others but what I like personally - I tend to take very little notice of the opinion of others when it comes to something I like.

Well said Pip, of course you are quite right. 

No matter what pottery you discuss, there will be some pieces that are wonderful and others that don't quite hit the spot.  Some Japanese from one particular potter may be better than an equivalent European artist, and vice versa, even if we look at work from the same two potters.  Subjective in terms of personal appeal, and in terms of how the kiln and the artist was working on that particular day.

I think it important to note that all the items we have mentioned so far seem to be attributable to individual potters/painters/glaziers, rather than items that are mass produced.  This in itself means that each item will be individual and have its own discrete merits and demerits.

[dantheman]

When buying pottery i am drawn to attractive glaze over all other factors,firstly i was bowled over by the vibrant coloured glazes of Poole pottery and the thick drip glazes of the Cornish potteries such as Fosters.
As i researched Poole pottery i found  other great glazes produced in potteries that the Poole artists had also worked at such as Dartington,Cobridge and Dennis China Works, also it lead me to the source of  Poole pottery Delphis glaze ,Vallauris in Southern France.
 Most of the pots that I have bought over the years have eventually lost a little of the original attraction and have been put away to make room for new aditions to my collection but the one glaze that i never get bored of is Wilkinson Oriflame,the colours are as deep as any i have seen on pottery and the patterns could be a lighening-filled sky one day and the next day a deep ocean with seaweed silhouetted against a myriad  of reflected colour. No other glaze (so far) has made me feel so awe-struck.
The piece that i look at most cost my better half 50p in a junk shop!

[josordoni]

Picture picture picture.... (insert jumping up and down smiley)

[dantheman]

http://www.yobunny.com/pottery/index.php?topic=587.msg11377#msg11377

[josordoni]

Lovely stuff - good price too, even with the hairlines.  I don't mind damage sometimes if the overall effect of the piece is still there.  I like purple and blue glass - especially perfume bottles, and have a couple of really nice named ones with internal cracks that don't offend me at all.