Japanese Pottery / Wood-fired Kiln on a Summer Night

The other night, I had an opportunity to take pictures of making a pottery in a wood-fired kiln at an Echizen-yaki potter’s studio.

In modern pottery art, gas, kerosene, electricity and firewood are used as fuel to make potteries. Potters change the fuel depends on its style.

There are many restrictions on obtaining firewood than purchasing other fuels. Also, to install kilns is restricted as well, so that it cannot be installed anywhere. Even it is not easy to make potteries in the wood-fired kilns, it seems that there are rather many potters still use the kilns to inherit “yakishime” which is to make pottery at a high temperature and is the tradition of Echizen-yaki pottery.

As the firewood is thrown into the kiln, flames rise high from the kiln. Although I am sure that being in front of the kiln must be extremely hot and it must be tough, it is beautiful to see the flames of firewood at a distance.

Shortly after the firewood was thrown into the kiln, flame started coming out from the tall chimney.

T.S