INTERNATIONAL CERAMICS FESTIVAL, MINO, JAPAN
The Tono (東濃) Region is the southeastern portion of Gifu Prefecture in central Honshū, Japan’s “main” island. The borders of this region are not officially set but it is considered to consist of the cities of Tajimi (including Mino), Toki, Mizunami, Ena and Nakatsugawa (and sometimes Kani, depending on who you talk with). The Toki River forms a border with Nagano Prefecture on the east and Aichi Prefecture to the south. Interestingly, this region of about 358,000 people is almost 15% of the prefecture’s total population.
The cities of Tajimi, Toku and Mizunami, indeed the entire region, has flourished as one of the most famous ceramic production areas in Japan with production of unglazed earthenware dating as far back as the 7th century A.D. Since that time the industry has developed and grown, having particular growth and success during the Azuchi-Momayama Period[1] of the late 16th century. In particular the magnificent Oribe[2], Shino[3] and Kizeto[4] distinguish this time in Tono. From this time on, ceramics developed not only as a function and role in daily life but as an artistic way of expression. Today, building on the rich experiences and techniques of their ancestors, the artisans of Tajimi and the Mino district continue to produce a myriad of ceramic products, which include both Japanese-style as well as European style crockery, ties and hundreds if hot thousands of other items and products.
The first International Ceramics Festival, Mino, Japan, was held in 1986 with the purpose of presenting to the world the magnificence of Mino-yaki or Mino ceramics, while at the same time promoting the exchange of ideas and information about the design, techniques, and culture of ceramics. This month, marks the 8th International Ceramics Festival at Mino. There were a record 3,284 entries from 56 countries from around the world, proving that this festival has indeed come to represent ceramics on a global scale. Of those entries, 857 passed the first stage and of those 192 were selected this year as award winning works and “honorable mentions”. With the opening of this festival, Mino has been acknowledged with pride as a great national asset to Japan.
Whether the festival is in progress or not, a visitor to Ceramic Park Mino (about 10 minutes from our house) can enjoy hundreds of rich, beautiful, and sometimes strange or mysterious ceramic arts produced by both local and world artists.
For further reference please visit the following:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_pottery_and_porcelain
http://www.rdpslides.com/ccf/FAQ00002.htm
[1] The Azuchi-Momoyama Period (安土桃山時代) came at the end of the Warring States Period of Japanese history when the political unification that preceded the Tokugawa Shogunate took place. The period spans the years from about 1568 to 1603, during which time Oda Nobunaga and his successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi imposed order upon the chaos that had existed in Japan since the collapse of the Ashikaga Shogunate in. The name of this period is taken from Nobunaga’s castle, Azuchi Castle, which is located in the town of Azuchi in Shiga Prefecture, and Hidyoshi’s castle (Momoyama Castle) in Kyoto.
[2] Oribe ware (織部焼), or oribe-yaki, is a type of Japanese ceramics generally identified for its use of green copper glaze and bold painted designs. It was the first use of colored stoneware glaze by Japanese potters and is one of the Mino styles, originating in the late 16th century, taking its name from Master Furuta Oribe (1544 – 1615).
Oribe is a style of noted for its extensive variations. There is great variety in the type of ceramics as well as the surface treatment of pieces. Like many types of Japanese ceramics, bowls and dishes are common, but Oribe ware also includes lidded jars and handled food containers as well. The clay used typically has a high iron content and is “thrown” by hand on a potter’s wheel or by drape molding. The surface of an Oribe piece is then painted and decorated with lively designs which may be images of nature, geometric patterns, or a combination of the two. White and clear glazes are also characteristically used. For the brilliant green color, Oribe ware is fired in an oxygen rich environment at 1220° C. If these conditions are lacking, the glaze may in the end turn to brown or red.
[3] Shino ware (志野焼), shono-yaki, is another type of Japanese ceramics most identifiable for thick white glazes, red scorch marks, and a texture of small holes. Another one of the “Mino styles”, it dates back to the late 16th century along with the Oribe style> Like other “Mino wares”, the Shino style is based on older styles with changes in shape, decoration, and finish. Forms of Shino ware are commonly squat and cylindrical, as well as thick but lightweight. Items common to this style included dishes, bowls and utensils used for tea ceremonies.
Pieces can be gray, red, or white, painted with iron oxide or decorated with glaze. Shino pieces tend to be fired at temperatures lower than those of the Oribe style and for a much longer period of time, followed by a very slow cooling process. These conditions do not permit the glaze to completely melt resulting in a thick layer that often has a “crawling pattern.
Shino also refers to a classic Japanese glaze which ranges (as was noted above) from gray to white, to orange and often contains spodumene or some other source of lithium and/or nepheline syenite. The orange color is achieved with thinner glaze coatings when fluxes in the glaze activate the iron content in the clay of the piece. In the West, shino glazes are extremely popular and sought after by potters, particularly those that break from off-white to orange, often with unique effects caused by the trapping of carbon.
[4] Kizeto ware or Kizeto-yaki uses a glaze made from feldspar and ash with traces of iron. It is distinctive for its yellow color and is often highlighted with designs using small amounts of Oribe glaze. Kizeto ware is most often associated with objects made for tea ceremonies and ikebana or the art of flower arranging.
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