Bizenyaki

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Bizenyaki ― Bizen Pottery and Daruma san
備前焼とだるまさん―焼物散歩




. . . CLICK here for Photos !

under construction

Bizen ware is unglazed stoneware made in Okayama Prefecture around the town of Bizen and has a long tradition from the late Kamakura Period until now. The firing takes place at high temperatures with red pine wood (akamatsu 赤松) and gives the pieces a natural wild appearance, with red-glaze streaks, charcoal-like patches or iridiscent blue-green patterns. Most pieces are storage vessels, mortars, vases and ricewine bottles.

The local earth around the town of Bizen has special properties to conserve food and keep it fresh, so in pre-refrigerator times huge jars were used to keep tea leaves, soysauce or miso paste. Especially the transport of perishable goods from the provinces to the Shoogun in Edo was done using quite large Bizen vessels.
The production of pieces for the tea ceremony started around 1500. The Azuchi-Momoyama period was the golden age for Bizen ware. Today there are more than 200 potters working in the Bizen tradition, using the special Bizen earth to produce also modern items like beer mugs and teacups for everyday life use.

Since no glaze is used for Bizen, you have the pure beauty of Earth, Wood and Flames. I sometimes help my potter friend Mondo Takagaki to fire the huge kiln (noborigama 登り窯) for 10 days and I want to show you a picture of the flames at about 1200 degrees centigrade. The camera is almost melting away if I do not take special care! After 10 days of high tension it takes another 10 days to wait for the kiln to cool down. Then comes the great day - Opening the Kiln (kamadashi 窯だし). You never know what happened inside during the firing and each piece is a unique work of art with unique patterns. By the way, I live only about one hour away from the town of Bizen.





. 高垣門土　Takagaki Mondo 　
My Bizen Potter Friend


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You find answers to all your questions about Bizen here:
... Robert Yellin .. www.e-yakimono.net ...




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More About Bizen Pottery 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Bizen Pottery traces its long history back to Sueki Pottery (earthenware fired with no glaze) in the Tumulus Period. From the Heian Period to the early Kamakura Period, potters started to produce more practical and durable wares for everyday use. This is believed to be the beginning of Bizen Pottery.

Bizen Pottery is one of the six famous ancient medieval pottery styles in Japan, including Seto, Tokoname, Tamba, Shigaraki and Echizen. It is also known as "Imbe Pottery" based on the name of the area. Bizen Pottery traces its long history back to Sueki Pottery (earthenware fired with no glaze) in the Tumulus Period. From the Heian Period to the early Kamakura Period, potters started to produce more practical and durable wares for everyday use. This is believed to be the beginning of Bizen Pottery.
The beauty of Bizen Pottery is in its unadorned simplicity. Its unglazed austere appearance caught the attention and admiration of tea ceremony masters in Sakai and Kyoto. In the Momoyama Period, a number of masterpiece tea bowls were created.
MORE about the Beauty of Bizen
http://www.city.bizen.okayama.jp/english/bizen/miryoku.jsp


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Here is a store where you can have Bizen Pottery send to abroad. English HP.
http://www.culture.co.jp/bizen/index-e.html


. BIZEN pottery ... Reference

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Talking about Bizen ware, we should not forget the
Shizutani School 閑谷学校.

The Shizutani School was built in 1670 and is cosidered to be one of the most impressive contributions made by Okayama's Edo Period ruler - Lord Ikeda.

Nestled in a peaceful vale northeast of Bizen City, the school was the first institution open to all regardless of social rank or class.
The school is enclosed by a superbly crafted stone wall and boasts reddish-brown Bizen-ware roof tiles and stark white walls, contrasting spledidly with the natural beauty of the surrounding area.

. My visit to
Shizutani Gakkoo 閑谷学校 　

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source :　bizenyaki-hanafusa.blog



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. Daruma enduring Moxa
Bizen Pottery 　



Now some Darumas from my collection.
Photos TBA

This one is seated and looks a little unhappy. He is 17 cm high. His flywhisk hangs over the left shoulder and is eyes are wide open.
達磨の坐像です。顔の表情がとても不幸せそうです。



Next we have a small standing Daruma, one of the more classical types.
He is 17 cm high. He is made from a form, so he has many identical brothers.
古典的な達磨立像の型ものです。



This rather voluminous one is seated, the hand on his knee. He is 17 cm high and his facial expression and the beard are wonderfully formed.
達磨坐像です。



Finally a Daruma with a hat hanging on his back. This is quite a uniqu rendering. He is 27 cm high.
This is quite a unique rendering. .
このだるまの背中にわら帽子がぶらさがっています。とてもユニークな作品です。 　　


Just as I write this,
a friend came along yesterday and brought me another little Bizen Daruma of only 3 cm hight, with a little hole in the back as an incense stick holder.


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. colors of nature
born out of fire -
autumn on my pot


. POTTERY ... my Photo Album 　

. Yakimono 焼物　＜＞　Daruma in and on pottery


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