Japanese Wood Fired Ceramics

Discover the traditions, techniques and technology behind the age-old Japanese art of wood-fired ceramics. Shrouded in mystery for centuries, especially in the Western world, the artistry behind Japanese-style wood-firing comes into the light in "Japanese Wood-Fired Ceramics." Authors Masakazu Kusakabe and Marc Lancet share everything you need to know to begin or improve as a wood-fire artist or connoisseur in this comprehensive reference to firing effects and techniques, surface development and kiln building. Features include: Step-by-step instructions to build two proven wood-fire kilns: the Dancing Fire Wood Kiln and the Sasukenei Smokeless Kiln, The first comprehensive English-language guide to yohen, the Japanese classification of wood-firing effects, colors and surfaces, Tried-and-true recipes for a variety of wood-fire glazes, A comprehensive guide through all six stages of the wood-firing process, Japanese insights into rarely discussed techniques and practices of wood-fired ceramics, More than 700 illustrations and full-color photographs. Book jacket.

This book describes the development of the main types of wood-fired kilns used by today's potters.

Ash Glazes has been designed as an introduction and practical handbook to this glazing technique, covering the history of ash glazes and the practicalities of collecting and testing wood ashes and transforming them into glazes. It will provide inspiration for working potters and delight all those interested in contemporary ceramics.

The Potter's Book of Glaze Recipes is a must for potters and ceramicists of all abilities interested in creating their own glazes.

This practical and supremely useful manual is the first comprehensive, hands-on introduction to Japanese ceramics. The Japanese ceramics tradition is without compare in its technical and stylistic diversity, its expressive content, and the level of appreciation it enjoys, both in Japan and around the world. Inside Japanese Ceramics focuses on tools, materials, and procedures, and how all of these have influenced the way traditional Japanese ceramics look and feel. A true primer, it concentrates on the basics: setting up a workshop, pot-forming techniques, decoration, glazes, and kilns and firing. It introduces the major methods and styles that are taught in most Japanese workshops, including several representative and well-known wares: Bizen, Mino, Karatsu, Hagi, and Kyoto. While presenting the time-tested techniques of the tradition, author Richard L. Wilson also accommodates modern technologies and materials as appropriate. Wilson has gathered a wealth of information on two fronts—as a researcher of Japanese pottery and art history, and as a potter who has studied and worked for years with master Japanese potters. In his introduction, he provides a short history of Japanese ceramics, and in closing he looks beyond traditional methods toward ways in which Western potters can make Japanese methods their own. Richly illustrated with 24 color plates, over 100 black-and-white photographs, and over 70 instructive line-drawings, Inside Japanese Ceramics is indispensable for potters as well as connoisseurs and collectors of Japanese ceramics. Above all, it is an invitation to participate—to study, make, touch, and use the exquisite products of the Japanese ceramic tradition.

This authoritative book is the first to deal comprehensively with the historical, technical, and aesthetic aspects of woodfiring.