Until a pottery is made

(1) Soil kneading

① Soil kneading (kiku kneading) is performed to remove air from the soil, increase viscosity, and make the hardness uniform. It feels bumpy at first, but you can see that it gradually gets wet.

(2) Rub the soil into a chrysanthemum shape and roll it up.

(2) Forming the potter's wheel

①Tools necessary for making a potter's wheel (from right, glove, thread cutter, dragonfly, tanned skin)

(2) Forming the potter's wheel requires advanced technology using centrifugal force. Apply the trowel to the inside of the mouth, make it bulge, smooth it, adjust the shape, and use the dragonfly (dimension scale) to determine the depth and diameter.

③ For large items such as vases, use a trowel or spatula with a handle that matches the inner curve.

(4) Pay particular attention to shaping the rim. The edges are finished with tanned leather (deerskin).

⑤ After cutting the bottom with a thread cutter (octopus thread), perform the shaving work.

(3) Mold molding

(1) Depending on the product, the soil is placed in a plaster mold and stamped. Various molds are lined up in the workshop.

(4) Shaving finish

①Tools required for shaving finish (from right, yari plane, wooden spatula, height scale)

② When the dough is half dry, place it on the height scale to determine the height.

③Place the vessel face down on a stand called Shitta and align the height. Next, measure the diameter of the platform.

④ While rotating the sitter, scrape out the soil inside the hill with a spear plane and a wooden spatula. After this, finish drying.

(5) Unglazed kiln

(1) Bake at a low temperature of around 800 degrees for 6 to 8 hours in order to obtain the necessary strength for painting and glazing.

(6) Underglazing

(1) Grind the paint (pigment) in a kneader. If you put this in a pot, it will be in a dry powder state. Remove the portion to be used onto a glass plate.

② Draw a pattern on the unglazed fabric with a brush.

(7) Glazing (glazing)

(1) Glazes such as colored glaze, transparent glaze, tsuyakeshi glaze, and raku glaze are placed in a large bucket.

(2) Glaze is applied to unglazed or underglazed items. Soak it in.

(8) Kiln filling

①Put the glazed pottery into the main kiln. In the past, it was fired in a climbing kiln, but now an electric kiln is used. In order to improve the flow of fire in the kiln and maintain balance, partitions are used to pack the kiln in multiple stages.

(9) Honyaki

① Inside the electric kiln covered with refractory bricks, the temperature is 1230 to 1250 degrees. The temperature inside the kiln rises from the top. Gas flames (oxidation-reduction) come out from the bottom of the kiln, and the flames come out from five outlets on the front and back of the kiln. It is fired in this kiln for 24 hours.

(10) Getting out of the kiln

① When the fire in the kiln goes out, wait until the temperature inside the kiln drops to about 400 degrees. Open the lid of the kiln and let it cool down to about 200 degrees. Finally out of the kiln.

(11) Overglazing

(1) The pigments used for overglazing are cobalt and vitreous rocks. Take an appropriate amount on a glass plate and grind it with a stone stick.

(2) Overglaze painting is the process of painting the pottery that has already been fired.

(12) Overglaze firing and kiln removal

(1) In order to bring out the color and luster of the overglazed pigment, it is fired in an overglaze kiln (in the case of gold and silver color or raku glaze, the nishiki kiln). It takes about 8 hours to bake at a firing temperature of about 780 degrees and it is completed. Let it cool before removing it from the kiln. It's a tense moment.