Bonsai folks.
I thought this was an interesting, if not fully related, post from the
moderator of a ceramics newsgroup. He studied in Japan as many potters also
are doing right now.
Regards,
Dale Cochoy

----- Original Message -----
From: "mel jacobson"
Subject: kilns in japan


only in very rural areas do you find wood fired kilns.
and, the cost of firing with wood in japan is extremely high.
it would not be done as a hobby.
the pots that come out are very expensive. (i saw some pics
a bit ago, old time potter, traditional clothes....and a laptop
hooked to the wood kiln. probes in about six spots.)
this is very serious business. bizen would be typical.

in the cities, electric kilns are very common. and, there are
estimated to be 6,000 potteries in eastern kyoto.(kee-o-me-zu) all fire
with electric. many of these potteries have 3-6 employees.
there was one scrubber stacked wood kiln left in kyoto in the 70's.
it was a famous tile company. i am sure it is gone by now.

the kilns look like big coffins. maybe six 24x24 shelves in a line.
coils about the size of your little finger. installed with pins
on the side walls. it looked like ribbon candy. lid beams covered
the kilns. a few i saw had boxes for burnable, wood fired affect.
but, with their glaze research facilities. who would need that? they
would just build a glaze that looked like it, whatever they wanted.

how would you like a research center with a dozen ph.d.'s chemists working
on your glazes? well kyoto does. potters pay in a spiff, and get
the service. plenty expensive, but critical. like i have said. it is
not hobby stuff, it is very serious. very.
and, remember, good potters have status. they are like famous
`rock stars`. collectors clamor for their attention. it is a 180 from
what happens in america. it is like the joke, when we have riots,
political
strife in the streets, it is good for potters...it takes us off the bottom
of the `social scale`.
potters and artists are near the top in japan.....and that includes
doctors and lawyers. in fact i heard from my dear friend, that ran
a large hospital in kyoto, that doctors are referred to as `people
plumbers`,
in japan.

it is all different. social stress makes it impossible to fire wood kilns
in a
city. tiny houses, packed together...pollution problems everywhere.
electric kilns can be tucked anywhere. often big potteries are tucked in
small spaces.
you would be amazed at what goes on, even next door. whoa...500 pots
a day, and all hand thrown....three people. working 10 hours a day, six
days a week./ 35 pots and hour is common for each thrower. throw
monday, trim tuesday. repeated, repeated. different world.

that is why i say...`when you make 5 pots a week, you are not
working very hard`. you sure are not going to put bread on the table.
ask `polly the potter`.

i am clear on why a lot of people make pots. it for their minds, not
their living. it is for joy, love, care and respect. and we all
understand
that. it is just that `getting on with it`, is often ignored.

it often comes from the colleges. `ok, class, here is the semester
assignment,
4 thrown pieces, 2 hand builds, 1 sculpture, 1 matching set of 5 objects.`
that would be a mornings work for any of my students at hopkins high.
our rule was, `you cannot make over 500 pots a semester`.
they would push the rule. it is all about perception. if you create
treasures, a few pots, you will never know what production can
be. when you produce volume, you get some great pots just by
doing. just by accident you get treasures, then you get skill as
the by-product. if you start with the attitude that you create `teasures`
you never will get one.

From:
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
web site: my.pclink.com/~melpots
or try: http://www.pclink.com/melpots

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