Pottery In Australia Vol 39 No 4 December 2000

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Tap: ". 50m langldln • Tamba /I only fInId once per year. 1118 • muIIIchambered .spIIt bemboo' kiln. II Ito not stepped ~ the chambers like the more sophisticated nobori-gama climbing kilns which evolved from n. Above: Pots ready for loading at a small Bizen pottery. They will be woodfired to 1300"C. The use of straw, covering wnh other pots and inverting others are among techniques used to change the colour and the impact of ash on the finished pot. Shigaraki ware depends on the movement of the feldspar particles through the clay during the firing. The white feldspar rises to the surface and that combined with the random effect of ash settling on the piece to fuse and tum green and brown on rhe reddish fired surface of the clay creates a lovely warm unique result , that is very different to the rather sombre effecr of some Bizen pottery. Our first visit was to Inbe, the central town in the Ilizen area, where we visited a number of potteries, kilns, galleries and the icx:al museum. The highlight was a visit to the home and workshop of the FujiwarA famil y. The ponery was founded by the late Kei Fujiwara who was made a 'Living Na rional Treasure' in 1970. His tradition is carried on by his son and nephew. They do four firings a year in their noborigama climbing kiln. They fire to 1300·C using gas for the first three days to help rhe process along. Ir rakes six days of fronr sroking and another two days per chamber of side sroking 10 reach remperature. Cooling rakes two days. 1500 stacks of precut wood is used at 100 yen (65yen = AUDSJ) per stack - 750 polS are fi red each time. Kei, the grandfather, C'Jn command a million yen for a rea bowl, his son Yu (also a National Living Treasure), 1- 200,000 yen (AUDS3,OOO) and they sell all they make. TIlis is reOecled in rhe fa cilities at the workshop. Quite an eyeopener for an Australian pOller! With the price of polS, we all invested in books! It really was cherry blossom time. The trees were just out when we arrived but were in full beaury by rhe rime we left on 21sr April. Add ro thiS, staying in a Ryokan and experiencing conulluna l bathing in traditional Japanese Inns; having dinner Sitting on the fl oor in lht local version of a dressing gown designed for someone half my girth to enjoy a full 21 dish Japanese banquet; helping ro pull a ceremonial float through the Slreet~ of Tokoname before retiring to sample sake with everyone; riding the bullet rrain ar 125mph, earing a fri et! egg with chopsticks; visiting Kawa i Kanjiro's house in Kyoto; digging up bamboo ShOOlS in a Japanese garden - I could go on. This is an experience every poner should enjoy. 00 Bill Sherman, who describes himself as a 'serious hobby potler' now working from a studio al home in lhe Southern Highlands, NSW. 66 POTIERY IN AUS11WJA + 39/4 DECEMBER 2000
IZNIK The Potters' Society of Australia and Destination Management have organised a special pottery tour to Turkey and Greece departing June 2001 for 26 days. - No rrip to Turkey is complete without a visir to Iznik, an ancienr town at the southern end of the Sea of Maramara . It is, of course, famous the world over for it's magnificently decorated tiles. Today there is an exciting project to revive and reproduce the spectacular 'Iznik tiles' made so famous over hundreds of years of production. Raw materials and kil ns akin to those of the 16th century are bei ng reproduced using information gleened from archaelogical evidence. Iznik was the centre of tile production from Byzantine times onward. However, the 15th and 16th centuries represent the cultural and artistic zenith of the Ottoman Empire. Tiles made during this time still grace the walls of many mosques and palaces and have inspired artists from all over the world since this time. By the 17th century the technical knowledge was lost and now, after 400 years, researchers are piecing together the traditional techniques. There are many factors that make these beautiful tiles unique in the world: • 70-8Q of an [znik tile is composed of quartz and quartzite. The final combination of quartz, clay and glaze gives the tiles their special, durable fired finish. • The tiles contain a network of pores that enables them to endu re shrinkage and expansion in hot, cold and freez ing temperatures. • The white of the undercoating is achieved exclusively from quartz applied in a paste after the first firing. • The colours used were originally only blue and white but a palette was developed to include the colours of precious stones - the blue of turquoise, the red of coral, the green of emerald as well as black, purple and grey. Colours that, at that time, were difficull to reproduce. • The glaze has an opaque, slightly man fin ish which makes the fired surface durable and reduces reflected light, therefore reducing glare. TIle sheen of the tiles was developed ro co ntrast with the textu res of surrounding materials used in architecture - plaster and stone. • The tiles have a polished texture which varies from smooth through man to a slightly raised finish. • Tiles are traditiomilly triangular, square or hexagonal in . the shape of a six poinred sta r. Izn ik tiles are generally square, a module corresponding ot the dimensions of an opened hand. • The figures on the tiles reflect allegorical and symbolic characteristics ami the flora and fauna of the region. The human figure was rarely used out of respect for Islamic tradition. • The geometri cal designs can be in terpreted as descriptions and interpretations of the universe. • Th e texts, usually prayers, reflect the ideals and philosophy of [slam. Text tiles were genera lly used to reinforce the symbolic importance of particular architectural elements such as the main entrance of the mosque. Today Iznik tiles can still be seen on the enduring architecture of the past. Thanks to the newly formed Iznik Training and Educa ti on Foundation, these techniques are being revived and used in contempora ry ways. G\!) For infonnalion call Destination Management Frc'Ccalk 1 300 307 317 email: travel@powerup.com.au or follow the links from the Society'S website: www .polleryinaustralia.com 39/4 DECEMBER 2000 + POTTERY IN AUSTRAUA 67
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Front Cover VICtor Grrenaway, 'Nch'
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WHITE EARTH/RED EARTH SPIRALLING TO
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uildings of the Palazzo Brugiorti i
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Th ere are many challenges ahead fo
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initiative to lecture to the studen
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PORCELAIN A LOOSELY POTTED HISTORY.
Page 20 and 21: long usage brought a funher gain th
Page 22 and 23: Phillip Hart, left, Limoge porcelai
Page 24 and 25: 'Book', porcelain and mixed media.
Page 26 and 27: PRESERVED SOUND Fleur Schell 2000,
Page 28 and 29: Top: 'A Home For The Forgotten Uten
Page 30 and 31: EXPLORING PORCELAIN Petra -Murphy H
Page 32 and 33: 28 POTIERY IN AUSTRAIJA + 39/4 DECE
Page 34 and 35: Right: 'Membranes of a Rezzo Fresco
Page 36 and 37: Printing letter stamps were added a
Page 38 and 39: Right: Yellow and white porcelain b
Page 40 and 41: PROF I LE PORCELAIN AND PRIMITIVE T
Page 42 and 43: PROFILE SPEAKING FOR MYSELF KAYE PE
Page 44 and 45: REVI EW A FINE FOCUS IN RECENT WORK
Page 46 and 47: UTILITY ''The real utility is not i
Page 48 and 49: HANDS ON AUSTRALIAN PORCELAINS WALK
Page 50 and 51: GLAZING PORCELAIN Glazing methods f
Page 52 and 53: MIDFlRE GLAZES Metchosin Intemation
Page 54 and 55: PROFILE POTS TO LIVE WITH Matthew B
Page 56 and 57: NED KELLY OUTLAW/INLORE Exhibition
Page 58 and 59: For Bruce McWhinney the natural ele
Page 60 and 61: PROFILE YENGO DREAMING Recent work
Page 62 and 63: CLAY TREASURES 2000 Members exhibit
Page 64 and 65: I thought J had left pots behind fo
Page 66 and 67: R.EVI EW ROYAL MELBOURNE SHOW BUSHE
Page 68 and 69: The workshop and tour followed the
Page 72 and 73: FIBRE ALERT CERAMIC FIBRE vs INSULA
Page 74 and 75: adjusting the regulator lO keep the
Page 76 and 77: A DECORATION FEAST! The V.C.G.'s 6t
Page 78 and 79: glaze, spraying, use of stencils, l
Page 80 and 81: 1. Preparation of clay disc - note
Page 82 and 83: POTTERY IN MEXICO By KEN -OSETROFF.
Page 84 and 85: BOOKREVIEW HERMANNSBURG POTJ'ERS :
Page 86 and 87: DECEMBER 2000 AUSTRALIA WIDE A ROUN
Page 88 and 89: DECEMBER 2000 AUSTRALIA WIDE The Ca
Page 90 and 91: DECEMBER 2000 NEWS • CREATE 2001,
Page 92 and 93: NEW TITLES ON SPECIAL A Woodfired C
Page 94 and 95: POTTERY IN AUSTRALIA - ORDER NOW SP
Page 96 and 97: STOC'KISTS . NSW A1dersons AIls & C
Page 98 and 99: SAVE 45" OFF THE UP OF 526. (PRICE
Page 100 and 101: 96 ~~~~ Courses in Fine Arts Cerami
Page 102 and 103: Advalnced Diploma, Diploma & Certif
Page 104 and 105: :MllllUlfacture,rs of p.epare!Ci cl
Page 106 and 107: 102
Page 108 and 109: BLACK SHEEP FARM POTIERY & GUEST HO
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Pottery In Australia Vol 39 No 4 December 2000

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