Rather Old Pots from Tohoku: 東北の少し古いやきもの

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In my kitchen, I have a few pieces of rather old pots from Tohoku regions. (see the slideshow above)
After three months from the Eastern Japan Earthquake, I still hear the news of daily aftershocks. Some potters managed to repair their damaged kilns quickly, yet they have difficulty in resuming their firing. I do hope that they would be able to fire their pots and their smile back very soon.

インターネットで日本のテレビ番組を観ていると、東日本大震災から三ヶ月過ぎた今でも、ニュース速報で東北地方の地震発生情報を必ずと言ってよい程見掛けます。また Japan Red Cross に集まった義援金が１５%程しか一般の被災者の方々に届いておらず、支援をした沢山の人達の好意も報われず、愚かな政治家の茶番劇ばかりが騒がれているようです。
まだまだ予断を許さない東北の現地の状況と、福島第一原発のメルトダウンのため、家と仕事場を追われ流浪を強いられている、相馬焼の作陶家の皆様のことが思い遣られます。

‘Anagamania’ -5- 穴窯築き: Delayed Kiln Building 遅れた窯築き

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Over a several weeks, I was working on a new website and blog for the aid project for Japanese potters who were badly affected by the Eastern Japan Earthquake on the 11th of March. Nature often punishes human existence. I felt sorry about many people died and some are still missing. People who lost their home and families will have a long way to recover their normality. The Fukushima nuclear plant was the worst human error to add on to the natural disaster. I am worried when the potters who evacuated from the radiation-affected area could go back home and start working again.
The Japanese earthquake news has been disappeared from most of newspaper front-pages only after a few weeks.
I am not very charitable. However I didn’t want to see a good crafts tradition disappear from Japan. That is why I joined and spent most of my time making our website ‘ Kamataki Aid ‘ and ‘ Ganbare! kamataki ‘ blog.
I have been very busy contacting with Japanese potters and missed the timing of getting back to work on my own Anagama site.
After all, resumption of my kiln building has been slightly delayed and I accept as this is my life.

先月と今月は良い天気に恵まれながら、窯築きの機会を失ってしまいました。
この数週間、東日本大震災の被害を蒙った陶芸家さん達を支援しようと、英国で作陶している仲間と義援金を集める活動を始めたのです。何せ物作りは得意でも、金作りは苦手な集まりなので、何処から手を付けたものかも良く分からず、結局、ウェッブサイトとブログを立ち上げ、ウェッブ･ギャラリーを通して作品を売り、義援金を作ることに決まりました。そこで貧乏くじを引いたのが、グラフィックとウェッブデザインの経験のある私に役（厄）が回ってきました。それでも、素晴らしい日本の伝統工藝を消えさせる訳には行かないので、頑張るしかありません。 （Ｇ．Ｋ．）

‘Anagamania’ -4- 穴窯築き: Songs from the Wood 森の春

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Bluesbells are blooming to the full. Regular visitors, fallow deer are passing in flocks through the wood.
As usual, I am working alone until I feel I am happy with my day… … …What else do I need here?

春うらら、咲き乱れるブルーベルの海の隣、私の窯場は、昼でもうす暗い森の中に在る。誰も望んで訪れては来ない寂しげな処ですが、私には何処よりも集中して作陶出来る貴重な空間です。ここに来れば文明の恩恵から暫し離れ、周りの自然を堪能でき、気が済むまで仕事をしたら、家に戻って遅い夕食の支度をするだけの生活。これ以上他に何を望めましょうか。

‘Anagamania’ -3- 穴窯築き: Farewell！My Moby Dick さらば！白鯨

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I was pretty busy past few weeks, as I have to build a new blog and a new website for the wood-fire potters who are badly affected by the ‘Eastern Japan Earthquake’ last month.

Just a day after the earthquake hit East Japan, I started to take my first kiln which was built in 1995 and left standing for a a several years. And it could be the best timing and season for me to move my Anagama into my secret wood.
Farewell ‘Moby Dick’ my first Anagama! … I will see you soon again as a reborn ‘Moby in the wood’ this spring.

Please visit our new blog ‘Ganbare! Kamataki’ and website ‘Kamataki Aid’ for the potters who were most badly affected by the Easten Japan Earthquake. It is not only Mashiko was affected, but also many other less known potteries (for foreigners) in the North were even worsely affected.

１９９５年この英国に最初に築いた穴窯・白鯨窯は共同窯の心算でしたから、完成直後には興味本位で手伝いに来る人もいました。どうも、英国人には苦手な薪作りや十日程の窯焚きという重労働が伴うため、数年すると誰も参加しなくなりました。
私としては、それでも独りで気楽に出来るので続けていましたが、やはり一人では手に余るほどの大きさだったので、年に何度も穴窯を焚く事が出来ず不都合な窯になってしまいました。不満解消に始めた楽窯による抹茶椀づくりに、暫らく熱中してみましたが、不満解消どころか、ますます本格的な窯焚きに心が向いて行く自分を発見するばかりです。
そこで、一念発起、小さくても年に数回は焚ける穴窯築きを心に決め、無用の長物となった白鯨窯の解体となった訳です。

東日本大震災の被害に遭われた、北関東と東北の陶芸家皆さんの、工房と薪窯の復興の一助にでも成ればと、英国の友人陶芸家五人とで義援金活動を始めました。窯焚きエイド(英語ウェッブサイト)とがんばれ！窯焚き(日英両用ブログ)を立ち上げましたので、遠慮なく活用して頂ければ幸いです。

Kintsugi 金継ぎ : Restoring Broken Pottery

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I often have received e-mails with questions not only about Anagama but also about Kintsugi (gold lacquer restoration). Many Kintsugi questions came from the States. I made a new German friend with the same interest in Kintsugi this month. I made a category ‘Anagamania’ for kiln building in January and I have now decided to open another category. It is called Kintsugi and open to anyone who is interested in traditional restoration techniques with Japanese lacquer (urushi) for broken pots.

Stefan’s First E-mail
Dear Gas,
Your pottery is like life – if you see it you would like to touch it…
You’re the first master of kintsugi who speaks English, I could find. (I do not speak and write English well but I understand.)
I hope you are not angry with me because I just want to ask something to kintsugi because I will not make a fake.
For bonding of porous ceramics, I use mugi urushi made from ki urushi and wheat flour mixed with a spatula.
For bonding of porcelain I use nikawa urushi made by mixing hot glue solution (Hide glue) one part with four parts ki-urushi.
Are these the traditional recipes?
Can you give me instructions for drying mugi urushi in a muro.
The processing of nikawa urushi is not easy. What should I consider?
Here are two examples of my kintsugi work:
http://www.kintsugistudio.com/index.php/studio-galerie/
I would be happy to hear from you!
Have a good time.
Stefan

My Reply
Hello Stepfan,
Many thanks for your e-mail and your kind words on my website. I am very sorry that I could not reply to you sooner.
I looked through all of your links with great interest.
As you read on my website, I learnt kintsugi restoration from an old restorer for Shosou-in (Todai-ji, Nara) and I didn’t realise importance of kintsugi techniques at that time. He must have restored many National Treasures in his life. I now feel that I was really lucky that I met him.
And another lacquer story is I used to have a have lacquer-maker friend (from Wajima) who makes traditional lacquerboxes like inro, suzuri-bako and kougou. I had a good contact with curators in V&A museum and Japanese antique galleries in London. He needed my help and now his work is in the museum. (my advice I gave for Lacquer techniques is credited in one of V&A publication)
Your bonding application for porous ceramics and porcelain seem to decent. Most restorer work for museums these days use cashew lacquer which only last a few decades (20 years with careful use) while real lacquer restoration lasts 3 centuries with every day use.
This is why I don’t like those modern quick fixing, because it seems some modern materials which have not been tested and proven. I can see nikawa is problematic. I believe nikawa is best to be used with wooden surfaces, yet it does not like to be kept in humidity. Where did you learn those techniques?
I only use sokui made from cooked rice and had no problem with any kind of pots (porous pottery and porcelain).
I am not a professional lacquer restorer. I only learnt it when I was very young. I am not sure if I am qualified to teach this skill to someone. All I can suggest is that it is would be better to learn a traditional skill where it was born.
I have received rather too many emails with questions about kintsugi. If you don’t mind I would like to upload your links on my Anagama Blog under a new category called Kintsugi. So anyone interested in kintsugi can post their questions through my Blog and I don’t have to write the same reply with my emails over and over again.
All the Best and look forward to hearing from you again,
Gas

Stefan’s Latest E-mail
Hello Gas,
it wars a nice day, when I get your email – I was happy…
Thank you for the nice Photo – urushi art is very interesting to me.
I think kintsugi is a repair technique. For western-understanding a restoration must be invisible and reversible.
I was also reading about cashew lacquer and I feel it is for tourists. But the worst thing is “Bison-Kintsugi”…
Now let’s talk about nikawa urushi -
The humidity is no problem if nikawa is mixed with ki urushi. The problem is just to mix the right quanities and I have to work quick. It is a very strong glue.
Seven years ago a japanese artist explained me this bonding application for porcelain as kintsugi technology when he was in Meissen.
Here I found a link also for this technic:
http://www.toraba.com/forum/threads.asp?forum_urn=177&t_urn=8069
On this page bottom – one can find this information:
Nikawa urushi
Urushi used as an adhesive. It is made by adding warmed nikawa (animal glue) to ki urushi. Of all urushi adhesives, nikawa urushi has the greatest adhesive power. Because it also has resistance to water, it is used in treating porcelain and glassware.
I think every urushi artist often has its own recipes. That I also found during study of literature. A very good book about urushi titled Hikone Butsudan I found – written by Prof. Carla Eades. But there is nothing written about kintsugi…
I also know sokui urushi – the recipe was also described by Carla Eades. Rice has different qualities, so I am not sure which sort of rice I have to take. It has to be a rice with many glue – Khao Youak for sushi may be ok, but I have to found out where I can buy in Germany. I will ask a sushi master…
To me it is not possible to learn this traditional skill in Japan. I believe the basic technique I’ve seen. But there are some contradictions I have to clear.
Yes, you may link my website to Anagama. I hope in some days I will have an own blog on http://www.keramikrestaurierung.com/
I will link also to Anagama.
Thanks again for the help.
Have a good week!!!
Stefan

Phone: +49 (0)3521-451354
Fax: +49 (0)3521-452018
Email: kintsugi@kintsugi.de
Here’s Stefan’s Web Links
http://www.porzellanrestaurierung.com
http://www.keramikrestaurierung.com/
http://www.kintsugi.de
http://www.kintsugistudio.com

If you have a question to ask about Kintsugi, please leave your comment.
Gas

A Badger (Tanuki) In My Kitchen 台所の豆狸

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I have been making real coffee first in the morning since I became a bachelor again. I broke the knob of my old kettle and it was replaced with a Shigaraki mame-danuki (a small badger or a racoon dog). I believe it came as a free gift with a big box of Japanese rice crackers ‘senbei’. I say ‘Good Morning’ to my mame-danuki sometimes as I don’t have anyone to talk to in the morning. Probably I should get a dog for my company.

独り暮らしの毎朝、起きてから何よりも一番先にすることと言えば、湯を沸かし、豆を挽きコーヒーを入れることです。壊れてしまった銅の古薬缶の蓋鈕を、小さな信楽の豆狸に換えて愛用しています。私の家では、鉄瓶、天秤量り、錫の紅茶ポット、古伊万里の皿や鉢が、新しい食器とともに、今でもバリバリの現役として活躍しています。

寂しい独身生活、犬でも飼おうかと考える今日この頃です。

‘Anagamania’ -2- 穴窯築き : Idea of Mediæval Anagama 中世穴窯のアイデア

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I received a couple of e-mails from Chris Drobnock in Pennsylvania, USA. He is a keen young potter with a passion for wood-firing. He made very good points about my kind of Anagama. So I decided to show his emails and also give you his web and blog links here.

CHRIS
Greetings,
I have been interested in ceramics and anagama for about 8 years now and have been making pots and firing wood kilns for that long. I fell in love with clay in 2002 and then went to university to study ceramics and printmaking. I have moved back to the area where my parents are from and have begun to make motions to build an anagama of my own. I have been following your website and blog for some years now and I am very interested in the styles of kilns you build ( the long flame shaped kilns ). I was just going over some of the images to look at your relative dimensions and decided to contact you. I really love the aesthetic of your building style and I have many questions. I hope that it is ok if I contact you in the future to ask your opinion of kiln building and the like.
Much respect,
Chris Drobnock
MY REPLY
Hello Chris,
Many thanks for your e-mail and your interest in Anagama. My apologies for not replying sooner to you.
I quite often receive e-mails with many questions about Anagama building and Kin-Tsugi (gold lacquer restoration) . Although I try to reply to questions individually, it is getting rather difficult for me to answer everyone of them.
I am building my new Raku kiln this winter and then onto another Anagama in the wood early spring. I have a web link to Trevor Youngberg who is going to build his new Anagama in Connecticut around the same time. Instead of replying to Trevor individually, I have decided to add a new category called “Anagamania” to my blog. Trevor also thinks it is a good idea. I will explain the kiln building process with detailed images. Trevor will ask questions which I will answer. This way, we will encourage and help each other.
I hope my blog posts will encourage other potters who may be interested in building Anagama. Moreover, I won’t have to repeat myself over and other again.
Kind Regards,
Gas
CHRIS
Thank you for the quick reply. I understand that you must get many inquires about what you do and I would be glad to follow along for whatever insight you can give. Its just that most kilns that seem to be out there, this goes along with the kiln I saw on Trevor’s site, start with vertical walls and yours do not and neither do Furutani’s examples. I wish to build a kiln that follows the design that has no vertical wall. Also your kilns seem to have a very gradual slope yet many kilns that I have seen are more sloped and fatter, not so flame shaped. Why is it that up until I found your site most kilns that I had seen do not follow the flame shape design, is it just that people do not know any better?
Thank you for your time Gas,
Chris

drobnock.blogspot.com
drobnock.com

Finally, I have uploaded a few photos to explain where my Anagama ideas came from. It is all personal preference. You can try whatever you fancy with your kiln as long as it works.

Mediæval Vessels – 古陶ファイル – (File no. 1)

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I have been filing Japanese pottery images on my PC in my spare time. Since my silly old computer packed up and trapped a few thousand images in it, I had to go back to my reference books. Some books are rather heavy to lift and go through pages. I had to start scanning all over again to a new files. Snowy December and rainy January have been a good time for getting on with favourite Mediæval vessels and for forgetting miserable weather outside.
Do not worry about losing them again. I have learnt an expensive lesson and most important images are on the external disk now.

Here I am showing six images out of several hundreds I have.

I may show some images of hidden Japanese pottery treasures I worked for their database, from the Fitzwilliam Museum (Cambridge) in the near future.

暗く厳しいヨーロッパの冬の時を遣り過ごすには、何か自分の楽しめる余暇を見つける事です。暇は有るけどお金の無い私は、大抵、家の中で好きな陶磁器の写真をファイルする事にしています。今回は平安末期から鎌倉期のいわゆる六古窯の逸品を載せてみました。

近い将来にケンブリッジのフィツウイリアム美術館の保管室で発見した館秘蔵の未公開陶磁器を、このブログで紹介して行きたく考えています。

‘Anagamania’ -1- 穴窯築き : Anagama Project 2011

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I will return and resume my latest Anagama building in the wood near Tring (Hertfordshire U.K.) as soon as I feel spring in the air. And now I have a good Trans-Atlantic companion. Trevor Youngberg who works in Woodbridge (Connecticut U.S.A.) will be building his Anagama this spring and hoping to finish by early June. He may have many questions about Anagama building and already started asking me some. I also receive e-mails with questions from potters and wood-fire enthusiasts, and I am getting too many similar questions to reply individually. Therefore, Trevor and I have decided to exchange our thoughts on my blog. I hope that we can encourage each other with our Anagama project and help individual wood-fire potters who are thinking about building their own.

From now on, information for most Anagama building (hopefully with a lot of images) and Q&As will be uploaded under the category ‘Anagamania’.

窯築きに関する問い合わせが頻繁になり、各人に返事を差し上げる事が難しくなってきたので、今後この手の話題はブログで扱うことにしました。何卒、宜しくお願いします

A Happy New Year 2011 兎年おめでとう！！

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A Happy New Year of the Hare (or Rabbit) Everyone!

This is my first post for the New Year. Since cold winter snow and rain didn’t permit me working in the wood, I felt like I have been in hibernation, yet I had to do something useful at home. Therefore, I have been filing favourite pot images in my desktop computer. While I was doing it, I found some good images of Japanese Mediaeval pots and my latest tea bowls (I thought I lost those images).

All the tea bowls on the slideshow above were made in the Czech Republic. I dug the local Czech clay and processed by hand, made the bowls and wood-fired them in December, 2009. 

雪に埋もれた年末と雨のお正月を過ごし、どのような2011年・兎年にしたいか思いを巡らせながら居ります。今は隣町に住む妻との別居生活も、今月で一年四ヵ月になります。独身ライフをエンジョイするには少々歳を重ね始めておりますが、未だ作陶の意気軒昂ですので、先ずは春先からの窯築き、そして本年は特に茶陶に励みたく思う今日この頃です。