toseki

2016-03-20 Glaze tests 釉薬の実験

Fired with cones 6,7,8 on top and bottom shelves. Pyrometer at middle shelf, didn’t display over 1215C.
Hotter on bottom than top. By cone, looks like cone 9+ on the bottom, cone 9 at the middle, and cone 8+ at the top.

Reduction strong at top shelf, weaker at middle and bottom.

棚三段、上、中、下。　オートンコーン6，7，8 使用、上:下置。温度計は中に。焼成中の温度計は1215Cを超えずが、上は8番コーンは曲がって、ヘタレ。下は8番フラット。　実際の温度は下：9+、ちゅう：9、上：8+　とみていいでしょう。
上は還元効いているようだが、中:下は中性気味。

Unloading:

Bottom shelf, front. Mid shelf, rear left. Top shelf, rear right.
Bottom shelf, front. Mid shelf, rear left. Top shelf, rear right.
Top shelf
Top shelf
Mid shelf
Mid shelf
Bottom shelf
Bottom shelf
Bottom cones
Bottom cones
Top cones
Top cones

 

Clay : Ash Blends  (Lft, to Rt.:  Bott.,Mid.,Top)

Taku shiro 90 : Dobai 10
Taku shiro 90 : Dobai 10
Taku shiro 80 : Dobai 20
Taku shiro 80 : Dobai 20
Taku shiro 70 : Dobai 30
Taku shiro 70 : Dobai 30
Taku shiro 60 : Dobai 40
Taku shiro 60 : Dobai 40

 

Stone : Ash Blends    (Lft, to Rt.:  Bott.,Mid.,Top)

Sandstone 90 : Dobai 10
Sandstone 90 : Dobai 10
Sandstone 80 : Dobai 20
Sandstone 80 : Dobai 20
Sandstone 70 : Dobai 30
Sandstone 70 : Dobai 30
Sandstone 60 : Dobai 40
Sandstone 60 : Dobai 40

 

Clay : Ash total, plus 280g Shirakawa

Clay:Ash total +280g toseki
Clay:Ash total +280g toseki

 

Stone : Ash total, plus 280g Shirakawa

Stone:Ash total + 280g toseki
Stone:Ash total + 280g toseki

 

Everything dumped together: Stone:Clay:Ash:Shirakawa

Clay:Stone:Ash:Toseki total
Clay:Stone:Ash:Toseki total

 

Stone:Ash 70:30 from top shelf (cone 8+) in the sunlight:

Stone:Ash 70:30 @ cone 8 1/2
Stone:Ash 70:30 @ cone 8 1/2

IMG_3681

Plates for February

Here are some of the things that will go into the Feb. firing. Small plates that will be about 12cm fired, and some larger plates about 24cm fired.  Clay body is Karatsu white from Hara san and Kishidake clay 50/50, with pulverized sandstone and weathered Shirakawa porcelain stone wedged in.

Shirakawa Porcelain Mine

Took a hike up the mountain today to the now closed Shirakawa Toseki (porcelain stone) mine. This was the base ingredient for Arita’s glazes for hundreds of years. The mine is extensive, but I stayed near the entrance as old mines are not among the safest places on this earth. The passages from the main entrance radiated out in several directions and where light still filtered in, you could see that some of them extended several hundred meters. And that is just what you could see from the light filtering in. Who knows how much farther they go?

In the entrance area, pillars of rock were left to hold up the roof, but there were boulders in several places on the floor, from what looked like recent rock falls. The roof of the cave is probably about 20 feet tall. The expanse of white rock is really stunning to see.