Teapots and Pots, Egg

Whilst we love our teapots and pots at Once, we also love seeing what other people are doing in the world of ceramics and design. This exhibition, entitled Teapots and Pots, curated by Makiko McDonald, shows work by two Japanese potters, Shigeo Tanaka and Shiro Shimizu. A bit like the subjects, the collection is small and perfectly formed.

The teapots, of different shapes and sizes, are exquisitely made using clay local to the maker Shiro Shimizu. Shimizu digs his own clay in Shiga, Japan, understanding the unique qualities of the clay in his area, and makes pots to suit this clay. He also makes glazes from local rocks and experiments with these glazes over time. The result is a collection of finely thrown, mostly spherical pots, with daintily curved spouts. Some with tiny, perfectly formed handles and some with handles made from local materials, all the work has a rawness to its finish. Of particular interest is an unglazed teapot which had visible vertical carving lines on the pot.

The beautiful lidded pots are made by Shigeo Tanaka, based in Nara, Japan. Shigeo makes everything himself: glazes, pots and a hand-built anagama kiln (a kiln built into the mountain or slope with a fire at one end and a chimney at the other, often for a local community of potters). The objects look like they could be from nature, with slightly oversized lids and beautiful glossy off-white glaze.

The backdrop is the much-loved shop Egg on Kinnerton Street, with it’s paired back aesthetic: clean walls and restored tiles from the days when the mews property was a dairy. The collection fits perfectly in the space; not too many but enough to keep you looking and lingering. We would happily be around these pots anytime.