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KODAI - WHAT'S THE FUSS ABOUT THE FOOT Jump Directly to Photo Tour   Some pots are described like a human body. They have a lip, shoulders, a body, and a foot. We humans don't really give our feet the respect and loving care that we ought to. Our feet support us and take us step by step where our minds direct them; it is quite a gift to walk on this glorious earth. Not so for a pot's foot though. It never gets a chance to move around freely and is content to stay wherever its master places it to rest. Yet the foot of a pot is not neglected and taken for granted like most folks treat their own feet. On the contrary, with Japanese pottery, the foot -- kodai, which is pronounced "koudai" -- is given supreme importance. A potter puts a lot of soul there. And collectors look. In particular, chawan (tea bowls), and other drinking vessels always have their kodai scrupulously examined. For example, at a Way of Tea gathering after the frothy bitter beverage is downed, a guest will invariably turn over the chawan to inspect the kodai. What's all the fuss? And what is to be found on the kodai anyway? Actually, quite a lot reveals itself down under. First off is the quality of the clay. On a glazed piece, the kodai is often the only place to view the clay. A seasoned collector will also be able to tell the location from whence the clay came, such as a Hagi daido or Mino gotomaki clay. In addition, it offers a nice contrast to the glazed surface often showing many keshiki as well. More than that though, the kodai reveals the potter's skill and spirit. A good kodai should be carved like a master calligrapher wielding a brush; spontaneous, with rhythm, delicate and yet at the same time powerful, pure. As with any art form it takes time to be able to do that. The same goes for being able to differentiate a good one from a mediocre one for a collector. A good kodai should balance the piece well and not be too large or small for the form. Kodai on chawan come in many forms with names such as janome (snake's eye), tokin (helmet), uzumaki (spiral), takenofushi (bamboo node), chirimen (crinkled), mikazuki (crescent moon), wa (ring), niju (double), kaijiri (spiral shell),kiri (cut), kugibori (nail carved) and wari (split). There are others as well. But before you put those names to memory have a look at what I consider to be fine and interesting kodai. Compare them with any piece you have and see how they hold up. There's a lot to be said for a foot !! Click below images to see larger photos. Furutani Michio Harada Shuroku Hayashi Shotaro Hori Ichiro Hori Ichiro Kagami Shukai Kagami Shukai Kakurezaki Ryuichi Kaneshige Toyo Kato Kozo Komori Shoan Mori Togaku Moritoki Taiyu Nakamura Rokuro Nakamura Rokuro Nishibata Tadashi Okuiso Eiroku Takiguchi Kiheiji Tanaka Sajiro Tsuji Seimei Yoshida Yoshihiko Photos by Robert Yellin