THE ANAGAMA FIRING - A STORY OF MATCHA BOWL MAKING
The Anagama Firing uses approximately 15,000 logs of Japanese red pine firewood at once.
While red pine is relatively costly, it has high oil content, which elevates the temperature
ranging from 1,000 to 1,300 degrees Celsius.
Kengo Saiki is a ceramic artist born in Kyoto and residing in Yubuni.
He diligently fires his pieces for an extended period of 8 to 10 days,
which enhance the depth of color and pattern in his work.
Mr. Saiki pursues the entire process of soil crafting with his own hands.
He blends the local soil from Yubuni, a neighboring town of Shigaraki.
The soil is renowned as the ancient Biwako layer, considered a miraculous earth ideal for ceramics.
The formation of tea bowls follows the technique known as hollowing out,
where a lump of clay is carved out to shape the vessel.
At the end of the process, only about 30% of the pottery produced in the kiln is usable,
while the rest might get damaged or develop imperfections unsuitable for sale.