Mishima Chrysanthemum Square Bowl

Hanada: I’d like to ask you about the pieces you are exhibiting this time.
First, this is Mr. Shimura’s Mishima Chrysanthemum Square Bowl, a new work we also used for the DM.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Yes. I wanted to make something square.

Hanada: What pattern did you use in the center?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: In the center, there are chrysanthemums and ruyi heads. The surrounding area is completely filled with chrysanthemums.
I had seen this kind of composition on round Mishima plates before, so I adapted it to a square form.

Hanada: Mishima patterns are perceived as a whole rather than in parts, so they don’t distract from the food.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Since the design isn’t assertive, it really makes the food stand out.
It feels like it comes together when you plate something, more than just as a standalone piece.

Hanada: Because it’s fully covered, it can actually serve as a subtle background. Maiko, what do you think?

Maiko Miyaoka: The shape is solid and strong, but the floral pattern softens it nicely. At first, there was also a rope-pattern sample, right?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: That’s right. But I preferred the floral one, so we chose this.

The Charm of Light and Shade

Hanada: Next is this celadon piece. Is it originally Korean celadon?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Yes. The shape partially exists in the past, but it’s a combination of multiple pieces I’ve seen before. I thought I’d make “something a little cute”… well, is this cute… (laughs)

Maiko Miyaoka: You wanted to make something cute? (laughs)

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Not exactly cute, more like a little floral…

Hanada: You reconsidered while talking (laughs). For a small plate, it’s quite sturdy.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Yes. Even though it’s Korean celadon, it’s more influenced by Chinese techniques, maybe around Yaozhou kilns…

Hanada: How did you approach shaping it?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Celadon has a beautiful glassy quality when it pools, so I made sure the edges stand well to allow pooling.

Maiko Miyaoka: The variations in shade really come out.

Hanada: What would you use this for?

Maiko Miyaoka: Japanese sweets, for example…

A Dish Without Words

Hanada: Next, let’s look at this black piece.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: That was a poor choice (laughs). It’s too simple; I can’t really comment on it.

Hanada: “A dish without words” also has its appeal, doesn’t it?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: I think it really makes the food pop, especially colorful dishes with reds and greens.

Hanada: Recently, more black pieces have been appearing.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: I’ve wanted to do this for a while.

Hanada: This dry texture feels nice.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: I made two types; the other has a glossy finish. In both cases, I wanted to evoke a metallic feel.

Hanada: How would you use it?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: As a small serving plate, or for Japanese sweets—it would look nice.

Maiko Miyaoka: Again, for Japanese sweets (laughs).

Mutsuhiko Shimura: It is mostly Japanese sweets, isn’t it?

Hanada: It’s very Shimura-san style and fun (laughs).

Brushes and Carving Tools

Hanada: Next, this piece you showed during production.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: I surrounded a large flower with smaller ones.

Hanada: Maiko, how do you feel about this new work?

Maiko Miyaoka: It feels fresh to me. It’s something you haven’t done before, right?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: The woven pattern is new.

Hanada: It’s neat and clean. The pattern has both subtle and distinct areas, which works well.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: This time I used a brush, but I also sometimes carve with a kanna. It changes the overall feel.
With a brush, it feels cohesive; with a kanna, some parts stand out more, creating stronger contrasts.

Hanada: How do you decide which technique to use?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: If the pattern is unclear and the piece would look boring, I use a brush to bring out the whole image. With this woven pattern, carving only part of it wouldn’t reveal what it was, so I wanted the full design to appear.

Battle of Red Cliffs

Hanada: Next, Maiko, please. This is interesting.

Maiko Miyaoka: This is Ko-sometsuke. I copied an old Imari piece that itself copied Ko-sometsuke.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Battle of Red Cliffs? Is this Zhuge Liang?

Maiko Miyaoka: No, the other one.

Hanada: Zhou Yu?

Maiko Miyaoka: Not Zhou Yu, it’s Cao Cao. Sun Quan and the others are on the sea side. You can check to confirm. There was also a version with two figures, but we didn’t make it this time.

Hanada: It’s the same motif, but with various versions, right?

Maiko Miyaoka: I’m thinking of exhibiting one of them. Which do you prefer?

Hanada: I like both, and having two plates seems more fun. Since the theme is the same, they pair well together. Perhaps people prefer this one. It feels more like your style, Maiko.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: The figure feels like your usual style, Maiko.

Maiko Miyaoka: This playful style (laughs)?

Hanada: A very attractive pattern.

Maiko Miyaoka: I like the theme, and although it’s a battle scene, the illustration feels relaxed. Even the depiction of waves contributes to a well-composed scene.

Hanada: How was it to paint?

Maiko Miyaoka: The plate is this size, but I painted the sea as if it extended beyond the edges.
This type of plate works well for that.

Hanada: The painting really conveys a sense of wind.

Maiko Miyaoka: I avoided exaggerating the waves or movement because it would look unnatural (laughs).

Hanada: “Moderation,” right?

Maiko Miyaoka: Yes. Just a normal sense of balance.

From Hexagon to Octagon

Hanada: Next is the indigo-painted octagonal bowl with a bird motif, also used in the DM.
Both the shape and painting reflect Maiko’s style.

Maiko Miyaoka: I wanted to make a slightly shallower octagonal bowl than usual. The idea came from a small hexagonal Aikutani plate with a painted motif in the center. I adjusted the edge patterns to match the shape and avoided filling the entire surface with painting. Considering the season, I scattered some plum blossoms like this.

Hanada: It seems to go well with various dishes.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Simmered vegetables, or for this season, simmered bamboo shoots with Tosa-style seasoning.

Unglazed Areas

Hanada: Next, this piece.

Maiko Miyaoka: I guess you could say it has white unglazed areas.

Hanada: Maiko, you also do the Suisaka technique, right?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Suisaka involves carving a previously applied glaze with a kanna, but this one wasn’t glazed in the first place, so it feels softer.

Maiko Miyaoka: It has a fluffy feeling.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Carved Suisaka pieces are more linear. I like those too, though.

Hanada: This is 6.5 sun. The size and shape seem very practical.

Maiko Miyaoka: It’s the usual size for side dishes.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Also good for simmered fish.

Maiko Miyaoka: Simmered fish? That’s unexpected.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Unexpected?

Hanada: It would work for chunky dishes like yellowtail with daikon.

The Story of Net Pattern

Hanada: Next is the net pattern. We saw you painting it, and your brush moved smoothly with a “shasha-shasha” motion.
Even while painting, it seemed very satisfying.

Maiko Miyaoka: The first stroke is always a bit tense. After several strokes, when I reach the middle, I start feeling freer. I also adjust the pattern tension while painting…

Hanada: There are various net patterns: some vertical, some horizontal, some with intersecting lines, or connected with dots. You use the vertical type. Did you try others before settling on this?

Maiko Miyaoka: This feels the most natural for my hand movements.

Hanada: What do you keep in mind while painting?

Maiko Miyaoka: I try not to get stiff. In other words, I don’t aim to paint perfectly or neatly. Often, the best results come when I finish and realize, “Oh, it turned into this pattern.”

Hanada: Do you ever find that the pattern doesn’t quite match up at the end (laughs)?

Maiko Miyaoka: Yes. But somehow it works out in the end. Even I don’t know why (laughs).

Hanada: Do you ever paint different types of net patterns?

Maiko Miyaoka: Double-layered patterns are interesting too, using two brushes at once, like the rice bowls Masako Shirasu had.

Hanada: Didn’t you try that too?

Maiko Miyaoka: I did, but not recently.

Hanada: What is the appeal of continuous patterns for you?

Maiko Miyaoka: Continuous patterns feel like exercise. I don’t exercise at all lately, so this is a little workout (laughs).

Hanada: It’s just your hands, isn’t it (laughs)?

Maiko Miyaoka: Jokes aside, I enjoy the rhythm and tempo of continuous patterns.

Front and Back of the Dish

Hanada: Shall we look at this one?

Mutsuhiko Shimura: This was arranged based on a soba cup borrowed from Hanada, right?

Maiko Miyaoka: The painting is the same, but the shape is changed. I wanted to make a small pouring cup. It’s cute, isn’t it?

Hanada: The contrast between the front and back patterns is nice.

Maiko Miyaoka: Since I changed the clay this time, it turned out nicely.

For the Exhibition

Hanada: Please say a few words about the exhibition.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: Last time, we showed white porcelain serving plates, but this time we are making Mishima serving plates.

Maiko Miyaoka: Ah, so they become Mishima…

Hanada: Maiko, you’ve already seen them, right?

Maiko Miyaoka: I saw them and thought, “They’re making some serving plates.” Just a quick glance (laughs).

Mutsuhiko Shimura: You were looking…

Maiko Miyaoka: Mishima is nice. Maybe I’ll make a serving plate too.

Mutsuhiko Shimura: This time, we’re also making flat jars, either Mishima or black Korean celadon.

Hanada: How about you, Maiko?

Maiko Miyaoka: I want to focus on copying early Imari blue-and-white patterns. Overall, it feels like “toward spring.”

Hanada: Thank you very much. We look forward to the exhibition.

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