Chasaji (tea-scoop) in shibuichi and silver

[Jim Kelso]

(for sorting dry tea)

Snowflakes and snow in general are a particular fascination of mine and I've wanted to use that theme in these materials for a number of years.

"How full of the creative genius is the air in which these are generated! I should hardly admire them more if real stars fell and lodged on my coat." H.D. Thoreau, Journal, 1856

The main piece is 50/50 (copper/silver) shibuichi from Phil Baldwin. Two snowflake inlays in fine (pure) silver and one small inlay of 70/30 (copper/silver) shibuichi. Also a bunch of inlayed and chased fine-silver wire bits using five sizes of wire from 22g to 30g.

This piece has been one of my most demanding both in design and technique. It's the most abstract work I've done. I decided to make the snowflakes mostly of the "plate" type as I thought that more solid form would contribute to the layering effect I wanted. Also the more feathery type of flake would be beyond my capability to render at this scale! The hexagons also had to be very convincingly symmetrical.


Although I took design hints from a silver vase by Nakagawa Joeki in the catalogue Flowers Of The Chisel from Malcolm Fairley Gallery, I had to make many decisions about materials, placement, depth etc. relating to this form. The Shadow-Master (wife Jean) was indispensable as usual, especially in the placement and size of elements.

length 113mm(4.5")

 

[mrthe]

Beautyfull work like ever!

 

[Dave London]

Thanks Jim
Beautiful as allways, do you have another photo , I don't see the scoop aspect.:clapping:

 

[Jim Kelso]

Thanks very much guys!
Dave, it's a very simple form. The originals were probably sections of bamboo. On this piece the decoration is on the back side. The concave side would be the using side and is plain. Doubtful this would ever be used.

 

[tsterling]

What a lovely thing, Jim. Wabi-Sabi bullseye!

Tom

 

[monk]

a shame you post so infrequently. when you do make a post, it is always worth the wait. thanks for showing.

 

[Ed Westerly]

very nice indeed.

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Always a real pleasure to see your work, Jim

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Dave London]

Thanks Jim
Now I get it

 

[Jim Kelso]

Thanks very much guys for the comments.

 

[Marcus Hunt]

Beautiful work Jim.

I hope you don't mind me going off at a slight tangent but I'm starting to really interested in the psychology here. The simplicity of the Japanese style of design triggers something in us and we love it. Why?

I deal with a Japanese watch company who now own the Kindler & Thorpe brand and they are the complete opposite. They cannot get enough of the English/British stuff. They love the history and our applied art. Currently I'm working on 2 Rolexes that they want English fine scroll on as I explained to them that it was on watches and jewellery that it was originally used.

So we love the simplicity of the Japanese art and the Japanese love our, totally over the top by comparison, stuff. What gives? What is it about the human conditions that makes something unusual from another culture trigger something in our psyche that makes us desire it?

 

[Jim Kelso]

Thanks Marcus for your thoughts. I actually think it's more complicated than you suggest, owing to the vast degree of variety in the human psyche. Certainly something from another culture can have an appeal, for many different reasons. For example, in my own case, and many others I can think of, it has, I think, to do with a deep, genuine resonance with a culture other than our own. In other words it's not just about a brief infatuation, or flavor-of-the-month(not that I think that's what you were suggesting), nor necessarily a rejection of our own culture.

I also meet plenty of people in the US from many persuasions who have little feeling at all for Japanese work.

I think what motivates humans to appreciate something over something else is too complicated to address in a few paragraphs.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[Jim Kelso]

Here are two more shots, the plain side is the scooping side: