"備前焼 / Bizen ware" is a ceramic art that has been handed down over millennia
"備前焼 / Bizen ware" is one of the "Six Old Kilns of Japan" along with Seto, Tokoname, Echizen, Shigaraki, and Tanba, and has a history of over a thousand years.
The oldest and most historic of these kilns is "備前焼 / Bizen ware".
Bizen City in Okayama Prefecture is a major center of Bizen Pottery, and there are still many kilns in the city, where numerous Bizen Pottery artists devote themselves to creating works of art.
It is said that the kilns in this area have not been extinguished for more than 1,000 years.
"clay making" determines the quality of the works
The foundation of "Bizen ware" lies in "clay making" which greatly influences the quality of the product, as it is said, "1 [clay], 2 [firing], 3 [shape].
The raw clay material is soil collected from the bottom of a rice field called "Hiyose", which was deposited in the Ibe area of Bizen City and other areas.
This clay contains a large amount of iron and a variety of organic matter, which reacts with high-temperature flames to produce a wide range of kiln deformation.
The clay "Hiyose" is exposed to the elements for several years, and then undergoes a number of processes, including "Sui-hi" (sieving to determine particle size), "Kage-bohi" (drying in the shade to remove moisture), and "Nekashi" (aging) to allow the clay to mature.
The most attractive feature of Bizen ware is "窯変 / Yo-hen, Kiln Transformation (change of the ceramic surface)".
The greatest characteristic of "Bizen ware" is its simple and rustic beauty, which is neither glazed nor painted.
Using "split red pine wood", which is essential for "Bizen ware", as fuel, the pots are slowly fired for about 10 days in a "climbing kiln" with a high-temperature flame that reaches 1,200°C.
Firing by the "Yaki-shime" technique, which has been handed down from generation to generation, produces a "Yo-hen" effect on the ceramic surface.
The beauty of "Bizen ware" lies in the "Yo-hen" (kiln transformation) created by the scorching heat of the flames.
Three features of "Yo-hen" (kiln transformation)
"Go-ma / sesame"
The ashes of the "split red pine wood" used as fuel melt and vitrify at high temperatures, producing a pattern on the the ceramic surface that looks like sesame seeds sprinkled on the surface.
These "Go-ma / sesame" are most often found in kilns that are fired near relatively high-temperature fires.
"San-giri"
This is a kiln alteration that occurs during the firing process when a piece is buried in ash on the kiln floor and not directly exposed to the fire, or when it is fired in a reduction firing process due to air currents, etc.
The color of the ceramic skin can be gray, dark gray, or blue.
"Hi-dasuki"
The beautiful pattern is characterized by the scarlet "tasuki" (a red sash) on the white or light-colored ceramic surface, as the name "Hi-dasuki" implies.
This scarlet pattern appears when a work is fired with straw wrapped around it.
Originally, this pattern appeared when straw was placed or wrapped between pieces to prevent them from sticking to each other in the kiln.
