The Journal of Australian Ceramics Vol 52 No 1 April 2013

Tribute to Janet Mansfield
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1997 Janet Mansfield enjoying lunch at the home of Shiro Tsujimura in Nara. Japan
the food or sauce, well savoured with the best sake until we could eat or drink no more. In his desire
to keep us entertained, he made noodles on a large wooden board. Later he led us to his workshop
and threw pots for us to see his relaxed technique throwing off the hump. Still on the entertainment
bent, he showed us his ancient tea house whence followed a hilarious demonstration of his version of
the tea ceremony only to be saved by the appearance of a traditionally dressed Japanese woman, a tea
ceremony master who offered a dignified performance of the honoured ritual. All stops were out ...
what a never-to-be-forgotten day.
Another of our ventures was a little house in Gulgong which we bought with Karen Wells, one of
Janet's apprentices. We called it 'Three Ways' . We thought it would be great to offer it to potters to
establish themselves in this clay-rich town. The bicentennial year 1988 seemed a good omen and with
our Australian fervour we found a newly graduated ceramics couple to live and work there (one still lives
in the district and practices as a potter). Next to occupy the house were Mary and Duncan Ratcliffe who
lived there happily for several years, moving on to Dubbo to take charge of the ceramics department at
the Technical College. Chester Nealie and his partner Jan lived there for several years, establishing their
presence in Gulgong (they still live nearby). About this time Janet and I were developing an Australian
porcelain made of all Australian materials from the Gulgong district. We tested batches of clay until we
were satisfied with the product. It was good clay and it was popular with the woodfirers as it produced
a warm pink blush. We thought the cottage would be ideal as an outlet for our product which was
being made up by the local clay maker ... all good on paper but unfortunately the owner of the pit was
not able to commit to a regular supply of the important white clay. We still have ingredients enough for
ourselves but not for commercial production.
We had other trips together. After sailing with friends on the coast of Turkey, Janet and I arranged
to meet in Istanbul where we were assailed by the vastness of the Topkapi Palace collection - shelves,
tables and cupboards full to overflowing with ceramics. We enjoyed the pleasures of the bathhouse,
the arcades, the markets, the fantastic tiles of Ayasofya and the splendid architecture of the old city.
Then went on to Italy where we called in to Grottaglie to pay a visit to Greg Daly's show for the 2nd
Biennale Internazionale di Ceramica, up north to Faenza to visit Carlo Zauli who greeted Janet like a
long lost lover, then by train to stay with Claude Presset in Switzerland, who joined us on our way to
10 THE 10URNAL OF AUSTRALIAN CERAMI CS APRIL 201)