Japanese-Pots.com SHIGARAKI POTTERY Shigaraki is a valley in the south of Shiga Prefecture and became the name of the town made up of 18 villages that lined the Daido river in the valley. In October 2004 Shigaraki was merged with 5 nearby towns to form the new city of Koka. The people of the original villages have been making stoneware pottery for over seven hundred years but there is evidence of tile making in the area during the 8th century. Like Bizen this pottery centre has been acknowledged as one of the “Six Old Kilns in Japan” with the earliest kiln sites dating to the late 13th century when the wares are likely to have been used to meet the needs of local farmers. The local sandy clay that originates from the bed of Lake Biwa helps to give the pots their warm orange colour and makes them extremely durable. Their irregular shape probably originates in Sue wares and their decoration replies much of the firing process. The firing technique allows air admission into the kiln and this leads to iron oxides within the clay to form a significant part of the colouring process. This free movement of air results from the anagama (or cave) kilns that are used. They are typically constructed on the side of hills and their single chamber has a sloping tunnel shape. Wood must be constantly added to achieve the high temperature required and this also adds minerals that give the wares their typical richness of surface WORK IN STOCK Please note that potters names are shown with the family name first as is usual in Japan.
FUJIWARA Shunichi KATO Hajimu – vase KATO Hajimu - yunomi OKA Shiba	OKUDA Eizan SHIBATA Takuro – boxed chawan SHIBATA Takuro - chawan
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KATO Hajimu - chawan KATO Hajimu – beer vessel KATO Hajimu - tokkuri	OYAMA Takayoshi SHIBATA Takuro - yunomi
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