New Stone Monkey Chop

stonemonkey

Hi all

Here is the new chop / hanko that will be adorning my pots this year. It will appear on all pots big enough to take them.

I am in two minds as to change it each year to denote what year the pots were made in. Any suggestions?

Regards

Andy

Attached Images

Chopsm.jpg (63.2 KB, 24 views)

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Ian_Homer

Hi Andy,

Looks good... but changing it every year may be tricky and confusing to customers.

You can't beat a simple addition of 06, 07, 08 etc..... in my mind.

By the way - have seen your pages in the Bonsai Potters book

All the best,
Ian.

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shibu

Perhaps you could use the 12 characters depicted on the Chinese calendar? This is the Year Of The Dog (2006). We're just finishing the Year Of The Rooster.

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stonemonkey

Hi Ian

Thats what I am doing at the moment mate just adding the year. I have just ordered my book from one of the distributors and it is winging its way to me as we speak. I saw draft copies of my pages cant wait to see the real thing.
Hope your well mate

Shibu

Thanks for the suggestion but I need to stick with the Monkey for Stone Monkey Ceramics. The reason why I came up with the name as I was born in the year of the Monkey and the element that goes with my year is Earth, hence Stone Monkey.

Regards to you both

Andy

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Joanie

Using the last two digits of the year is the clearest way, then customers and collectors don't need to refer to a chart or anything. Keep it simple and honest, and everyone will be happier. And when your pots are highly collectible for their own sake, everyone will know the older ones from the newer ones!

Lovely hanko, very pleasing and balanced.

Joanie

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ethanopia

Aw come on now everything doesn't need to be hit you over the head obvious does it, what ever happened to a little mystery, a little mystique?

I like the idea of it being a code of sorts, if you don't know, you aren't cool. If you do know, you obviously know your stuff, kind of a secret handshake.

I think its cool stone.

-e

Joanie

There is a long tradition in pottery of changing the marking to reflect the year, just as there is in the production of silver plate. Which IS sort of fun. However, it drives the collectors rather nuts because you need to either memorize the markings, or carry around the key. (Has anyone else read the incredible book "The Arcanum" by Janet Gleeson?)

I was being a little tongue in cheek there, because bonsai pots really don't get sold as collectibles nearly as much as other pottery. And they usually aren't collected for their age, or rather I should say for the stage that the potter was in at the time. ("This is an early Stone Monkey, and this is from his red reduction phase") People may appreciate the potter, but they mostly buy the pot because they like it, not because it fits into a larger collection. (Hard to describe the differences in collecting... am I being clear enough?) They don't care about the year except as a curiosity perhaps. Whereas with some collectibles, a collector wants one of each type from each maker that they collect. And the earlier work is usually more highly prized, even though the later work may be more mature and refined. Go figure!!

Joanie

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stonemonkey

Hi Joanie

I think your right. As both you and Ian suggest I will just add the year to my chop, clear and simple for all.

Thanks for your comments on the chop design too

Kind regards

Andy

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