Japanese Lisa cat
Number 8: Seto Rock Moon
Wabi, rust, burnt,
The ``Japanese Lisa Cat'' project travels around the country.
This time we arrived at Seto City, Aichi Prefecture.
The pottery, which has been pursuing unique methods for many years in the tradition of Seto ware, faced this cat head-on.
Distinctive "strain" and "scorch" created by red clay and unique glaze. It has a texture that looks like it has been around for generations. With red soil in mind, I don't want to be the same as everyone else. There you will find a super unique cat face that won't listen to anything you say.
Just like a moon made of rock floating in a sky made of earth, a stray cat runs through the skies of Japan and Northern Europe.
Proud number eight.
This is Seto, Iwa no Tsuki.
It was produced by Kashiwa Kiln, a pottery in Seto City, Aichi Prefecture.
Using red clay and an original blend of glazes perfected by the previous generation through trial and error, distortions, burntness, and uneven coloring have been treated as ``expressions'' rather than defects.
We want to create something that is not influenced by trends and will continue to be a part of our daily lives ten or twenty years from now.
That attitude is clearly visible in this Lisa cat.
For this production, we reconsidered the method of making plaster molds. Up until now, we have created grooves around the facial parts at the mold stage, and then used these lines as clues to complete the facial expression through repeated painting and carving.
Kashiwa Kiln, which we worked with this time, is a maker that specializes in relief expression. To take advantage of this strength, we changed the shape of the plaster mold face so that the outline of the facial parts stands out as a bulge. You can feel the difference when you compare them with the Lisa cats numbered 1 to 7.
This product has individual differences in color, burntness, and expression depending on the properties of the red clay and glaze, as well as firing conditions. Please enjoy each one as its own individuality.
About Kashiwa Kiln
Founded in 1965 in Seto City, Aichi Prefecture. Heavily influenced by Finnish designer Kai Frank, he uses the complex casting method, which brings together the skills of craftsmen, to create works that take advantage of the unevenness and distortion of the firing, as well as the intricately shaped reliefs that are his greatest feature, through a unique formulation that utilizes red clay from Seto. Currently, the company has inherited the casting method and reduction firing methods that have remained unchanged since its founding, and is working on new designs and reproductions of the designs produced at the time of its founding.Comes in a special box
It will be delivered in a special presentation box.
I foil-stamped the stray cat that Lisa drew.
Lisa really, really loved Japanese pottery!
Lisa loved Japanese pottery so much that no matter how big, big, big, big it was, it was never enough. That's why the idea of having Lisa's work made in potteries across Japan was in my mind from the very beginning when I started working with her. At first, it was a dream story that came out as a routine at the end of a conversation. As time passed, it became no longer a dream, but a plan that I absolutely wanted to realize.
Learn more on Lisa Cat's special website!
Interview Listen!
An interview with Seto ware "Kashiwa Kiln" is now available.
Please take a look at the behind-the-scenes stories behind the production and Lisa's thoughts on the cat.
Japanese Lisa cat lineup
Lisa Larson × Kashiwa kiln
Came to Japan in the 1950sLisa Larsoncame across Kashiwa Kiln, a pottery in Seto City, Aichi Prefecture.
Lisa was deeply impressed by the unique combination of red clay and glaze, casting method, and reduction firing.
Approximately 20 years later, in 1983, through Lisa's own efforts, a project was realized in which Kashiwa Kiln would manufacture Lisa's works.
All of the egg cups and butter cases produced at that time were exported to Europe and not sold in Japan.
Since the molds from that time were discovered, these works have been reprinted over time.
