mel jacobson on thu 4 sep 08
here are some notes from joe koon's writing:
=20
There is nothing new under the sun, and tenmoku glazes are no exception. It=
began with the ancient discovery of black and brown glazes as long ago as=
the Tang (AD 618-906) and Sung (AD 960-1279) Dynasties of China. The=
principles that make this system work are still utilized today. It can be=
seen in the Chinese kitchenware of a hundred years ago from Honan (See=
figure 3), Japanese tea wares (See figure 4), and Chinese storage jars (See=
figure 5). This type of natural glaze was more a discovery than an=
invention. They emerged from estuarias similar to those found in America,=
like the Albany slip in NY, the river washed materials from Zanesville,=
Ohio, and glacier ground clays from the Elsinore area of Southern=
California. It is the alluvial clays that are moved into the secondary=
area by rivers and glaciers that create the perfect material for our use. =
The Archie Brey has Alberta slip and Laguna Clay Co. has a new arroyo slip=
(See figure 6) that utilizes this natural glaze system. There are many=
varieties of this black and brown glaze found all around the world which=
essentially comprised of the same components. These glazes have a high=
silica content which impedes them from running during firing. This makes=
for a low fluidity at elevated temperatures. =20
=20
In every ceramics art department in America, there are tenmoku glazes. =
Tenmoku is used here to refer to glazes made from high concentrations of=
iron oxides. This is a misnomer. In China, the term tenmoku refers to the=
shape of the bowl made at Jian Yao in the Fujian Province of Southern=
China. It is a conically shaped bowl that, when turned upside down,=
represents a mythical mountain, a legendary mountain where the foot can=
reflect the moon and the sun. It is the stuff of which Zen art is made. =
The artisans of tenmoku lived along the Mien River. This was a=
cosmopolitan, Zen oriented center where humble and anonymous artists worked=
magic in clay. Green tea flourished in this region, and was traded=
throughout the world. The bowls went along for the ride. The bowls were=
also used as tribute to the Northern Imperial Court. In later years, even=
pirates coveted them. These artists and craftsmen founded the Southern=
Sung Dynasty. In an article by James Marshall Plummer in the 1937 London=
News, he states: =93They ruled through enlightenment in the arts.=94 =20
=20
from minnetonka:
website http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart site:
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
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