RebeccaMcCarthy on wed 25 aug 99
Thanks everyone for the responses to my questions about solar and wind power.
Lots of food for thought.
I've been out of the loop for a week or so. Last week I attended Michael
Sheba's Raku workshop in Haliburton Ontario...that was amazing!
But I had to leave a few days early to go to the funeral of one of my
oldest, dearest friends. He was creamated and his family sent me home with
half of his ashes. I knew this was coming because he called me when he was
working on his will.
So now I'm working on a human ash glaze. I've seen postings already about
this and I have some ideas on how to start. I'll let you know about any
unusual findings and I look forward to any comments and ideas you have to
offer.
I'm under the impression that it's very refractory and that my best bet is
to mix it with my clear glaze and then use it like an under glaze. I don't
have a ball mill so I'll strain the larger particles out. I'll be making
keepsakes for all of his friends and some kind of large sculpture.
It was interesting to see what container the funeral home put the ashes in.
What a week.....what a life!
Rebecca McCarthy
pothead@interlog.com
Keiko Suga & Noel Oard Mapstead on wed 15 nov 00
hi bill
i have a workshop coming up feb 4-9, 2001 at esalen institute, big sur, calif.
it is entitled "funerary pottery at continents end", which will include the use of
human bone ash to be incorporated into a glaze during the workshop
as a result, i have been doing lots of research and experimentation in preparation
bone is calcium phosphate hydroxy-apitite (hap). phosphorous releases during glaze
firing as a gas, resulting in a reaction of a wispy opulent blue color scattered
over the clay surface when using small amounts of bone ash with a transparent glaze
i have chosen cone 10-chinese blue celadon "jun" glaze formulas, because they call
for bone ash in percentages of 2-5%...(1/4 -1/2 teaspoon) the results so far are
quite beautiful
all my experiments have been using the bone ash crushed and screened at 50 mesh
bottom line is this: human bone ash does not begin to melt until past cone 18
(circa 3000 F). therefore, using bone ash as an addition to a glaze is most
practicable...
yet this means bone ash could be added to any glaze at any temperature
for example, i added bone ash to a cone 10 chinese tea dust glaze and got a visible
speckled manilla yellow instead of any blue...and adding bone ash to lagoon holly
red 06 glaze, produced a speckled white...and still other glazes, one would not
know if bone ash is in the glaze
these experiments and research have led me into musings of philosophy and science
and the essential elements of the universe, galaxies, solar system, planets. I
firmly believe that the use of human bone ash as a glaze ingredient in the final
ceramic product should be dropped off in outer space and/or placed on some planet
venus is the hottest surface of any planet, at only 900 F
already, new studies such as bio-ceramics and astro-biology have been coined, how
about
the study of ceramics in outer space...astro-ceramics
the workshop web site is: www.esalen.org (search workshop and mapstead)
and also see: www.mapstead.com/noel
noel oard mapstead
WHC228@AOL.COM wrote:
> Does anyone out there have any experience using human ashes in glazes? A
> neighbor lost a friend recently and asked if human ash works like wood ash,
> and would like me to glaze a pot for him with some of his friends ashes.
> Bill Campbell
> whc228@aol.com
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
Keiko Suga & Noel Oard Mapstead on thu 16 nov 00
hehe john...way to go
my research with human bone ash as part of a glaze has led me to different approaches, that either the bone ash can be manipulated to create a distinct cause and effect of bone ash in the glaze, or , just having the bone ash as part of the glaze without any special effects, but simply asthetic choice of the glaze color and knowledge.
your post gives me more confidence to offer my upcoming workshop participants a full choice of different glazes
(rather than a limit to what i have been researching)
thanks, noel oard mapstead
John Kremer wrote:
> CLAYART Digest - 14 Nov 2000 to 15 Nov 2000 (#2000-183)Bill,
>
> I used Human ash, but not as a major component. I sprayed a thin ash layer over the vessel in question then dipped the vessel in a glaze of choice. I didn't notice any major change in the desired affect and this way everyone got a pot in the style/color they wanted knowing that their loved one was an integral part of each piece.
>
> Good Luck.
>
> John Kremer
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
John Kremer on thu 16 nov 00
CLAYART Digest - 14 Nov 2000 to 15 Nov 2000 (#2000-183)Bill,
I used Human ash, but not as a major component. I sprayed a thin ash =
layer over the vessel in question then dipped the vessel in a glaze of =
choice. I didn't notice any major change in the desired affect and this =
way everyone got a pot in the style/color they wanted knowing that their =
loved one was an integral part of each piece.
Good Luck.
John Kremer
Audra Loyal on fri 17 nov 00
I just finished reading the book _What Every Potter Should Know_, by =
Jeff Zamek. One of the chapters is entitled "Black Friday" in which he =
gives a recipe for a glaze he made using bone ash from his beloved black =
Labrador Retriever. His dog was a beautiful blue-ish black color, and =
the glaze tries to come as close to that color as possible.=20
I hope I'm not breaking any rules by posting the glaze recipe here:
Black Friday Glaze Con 6/ox
Nepheline syenite 270x 20
Whiting 15
EPK 18
Ferro frit #3124 20
Flint 325x 17
Bone ash (Friday) 10
Mason black stain #6600 12
CMC 1%
Audra Loyal
Eugene OR
Chris Rupp on sun 10 aug 03
I had heard of this being done on several occasions with success. However, I
have also heard that the glaze is the worst puke green you can imagine on a
pot (without colorants). What color were yours?
Chris
Sunny Santa Barbara
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Bill Edwards on sun 10 aug 03
In the recent past an old instructor of mine passed on
and had left a wish for her ashes to be made into
pots. I was called by her husband and I took on making
my dear friend into pots.
I will say it did give me some strange feelings but I
wanted to do this as a favor to the family and as my
last opportunity to do something for a great friend
whom I admired and loved.
The bone ash will need screened and in my case it took
further pulverizing. Once I screen the content I took
some of the larger particles and included it in the
clay. The largest particles left over, and there most
likely will be some, was put in the urns and sealed.
So the finished product contained bone ash in the
clay, in the glaze and in the end after final firing
the cremains left over were sealed in each container
and returned to the family with exception to a small
piece I kept with the families approval. The recipe is
below. Not advocating it to be anything but a glaze
that worked but it remains in the limits I set for
this. Also a pointer here, some of the small calcined
(from cremation) fragments acted like iron bleeding in
spots through the clay and glaze. It didn't run and I
did add some colorants to this glaze. The results were
nice!
SU STANDING BEAR ^6 OX. (Bill Edwards)
-------------------------------------------------------Wollastonite
10.00
Silica 15.00
EPK Kaolin 20.00
G-200 Potash Feldspar 20.00
Ferro 3134 30.00
Bone Ash (Human) 5.00
KNO 0.257 5.85%
CaO 0.738 13.32%
MgO 0.005 0.07%
Al2O3 0.335 10.99%
P2O5 0.047 2.15%
B2O3 0.302 6.78%
SiO2 2.839 54.91%
TiO2 0.231 5.93%
K2O 0.069 2.10%
Na2O 0.188 3.75%
Al:Si 8.470 Expan. 9.711
ST 299.585
The analysis will be different in your calculations
since I did use colorants and calculated them in on
this glaze. Also my imput of information may be
different? Normally varies from source to source.
The idea is to give those who have been holding on to
those ashes something to consider. They (ashes) do
make pretty pots.
Su and I used to laugh about this when she was alive
and she would tell me she would love to go to pot
someday. I think of her often and in ending I want to
include this. Beside the piece I made entirely from
her ashes her husband gifted me with a piece that Su
had in her studio prior to her death. It was already
bisque fired and carved. I brought that home and
glazed it with her glaze and that piece is a very
important piece that will remain in my possession most
likely until I join her as a pot myself. I do hope the
potter will give me a nice shape and form!
Maybe this post won't freak anyone out and I hope some
will be encouraged in some manner to experiment with
the information. If you need the selection of coloring
oxides I used please ask me.
A little over 2% of the ash was glaze. Maybe another
8% was used in the clay and the rest was put into the
containers after firing and sealed using E-2000 I
think its called?
Bill Edwards
=====
http://www.tallapoosariverpottery.com/
Bill Edwards
PO Box 267
Lafayette, AL, 36862
__________________________________
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iandol on mon 11 aug 03
Dear Bill Edwards,=20
Has a quick look down your Unity formula. First thing that struck me was =
the absence of Iron oxide, though I note you say "Bone Ash (Human)". I =
would have expected there to Iron and a few trace elements from the =
whole ash of a human cremation which was conducted via gas heating =
though there might have been more Magnesia if it had been done on a =
funeral pyre.
Realised that I missed a chance when "Flash" the Kelpie died a couple of =
months ago. I could have given him a blazing send off and collected his =
ashes with a good mixing of fruit wood prunings.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis. Redhill, South Australia
claybair on mon 11 aug 03
Bill,
Your posting make me think
how wonderful it would be to have
a modern day potters field....
A field of urns glazed with ashes of the potters
and storing the rest inside amongst a field of
grasses or wild flowers.
Gayle Bair
Bainbridge Island, WA
http://claybair.com
-----Original Message-----
In the recent past an old instructor of mine passed on
and had left a wish for her ashes to be made into
pots.
I brought that home and
glazed it with her glaze and that piece is a very
important piece that will remain in my possession most
likely until I join her as a pot myself. I do hope the
potter will give me a nice shape and form!
Maybe this post won't freak anyone out and I hope some
will be encouraged in some manner to experiment with
the information.
Bill Edwards
Elzbieta Sekula on mon 11 aug 03
That's poetic, Gayle. I like this idea, too. E
In a message dated 8/11/03 2:19:09 PM Central Daylight Time,
gayle@CLAYBAIR.COM writes:
> Your posting make me think
> how wonderful it would be to have
> a modern day potters field....
> A field of urns glazed with ashes of the potters
> and storing the rest inside amongst a field of
> grasses or wild flowers.
Klyf Brown on mon 11 aug 03
My plan was to throw a pot large enough to hold my body, bisque
fire it and set it aside. Potter friends were enlisted to toss my corpse
into the pot, fire it up to about 2K (f), grind up the chunky stuff, ball
mill it and make a glaze from a recipe left in my will and fire the pot
with me on it to cone 11.
Now that my back is wiped out I can no longer throw that large (i am
not throwing anymore, I use extruders and handbuilding) and my kiln
is only 3' tall. So now my wife is left with instructions of what to do
with the stuff from the crematory and if she can handle it, glaze a few
left over pots with my glaze.
I thought she would freak out over the idea, but instead she suggested
that I approach funeral homes with the idea and offer it as an
alternative to the typical urn.
Who knows, maybe with enough potters contacting funeral homes
with this idea it may grow into a national or international trend and we
can carve out another outlet for our pottery.
With the price of common urns, we could turn a nice buck making
these custom burial pots.
My only concern is seconds. If the persons ashes we get was a real
SOB in life, will that effect the results? Will we be haunted with their
ghost while we are working on their pot?
Morbid Klyf in New Mexico, usa
Steven Goldate on tue 12 aug 03
Re: Human Ash Glaze
I thought of doing this sort of thing once, with my father's ashes (he
died a long time ago).
But what if the pot doesn't turn out? If it cracks? If you break it
later on? If it's really not what you expected? If you just don't like
the effect?
Darn.
Maybe better not to mess with it and just scatter them to the wind...
Steven
Janet Kaiser on wed 13 aug 03
Steve
I understand your predicament... when this subject came up a few
years ago, I voiced my doubts for exactly the same reason, but
then I was still grieving bitterly for my mother.
Anyway, since being on a clinical trial I have learned that my
personal bone weight is 2709 grams. Apparently even the biggest
6ft plus human body will hardly ever reach let alone exceed 3
kilos. I presume this is less after "firing" but you still have
enough ash to glaze more than one pot.
What about substituting other bone ash to experiment with first
and then when you are happy with the results, inviting your
father to take part? There should not be a great difference and
the slight ones would be your dad having his say and final word
as it were. Just do not put all your eggs into one basket or all
your dad into one firing... Maybe a very small series of pots?
Two or three?
Once scattered to the winds, you cannot try. Whatever you decide
it will help towards what is now called "closure". You know your
own know best, but maybe it is time to decide? The decision does
not get any easier however long you wait...
Sincerely
Janet Kaiser -- thank god for clay art... gives someone and
something else to focus on when the going gets tough... off for
more oral surgery tomorrow. Year eight begins...
*** IN REPLY TO THE FOLLOWING MAIL:
*** From: Steven Goldate
>I thought of doing this sort of thing once, with my father's
ashes (he
>died a long time ago).
>But what if the pot doesn't turn out? If it cracks? If you break
it
>later on? If it's really not what you expected? If you just
don't like
>the effect? Darn.
>Maybe better not to mess with it and just scatter them to the
wind...
*** THE MAIL FROM Steven Goldate ENDS HERE ***
*** top of page reply was sent by Janet Kaiser ***
The Chapel of Art - Capel Celfyddyd
8 Marine Crescent - Criccieth LL52 0EA
Wales - UK - http://www.the-coa.org.uk
Tel: (++44) 01766-523570
Home of The International Potters=92 Path
Frank Colson on tue 15 mar 05
BINGO! Yes! I have done this, twice! What would you like to know?
Frank Colson
----- Original Message -----
From: "Erik Olson"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2005 12:09 PM
Subject: Human ash glaze
> I am working on a project for a dear friend of mine. He passed away
> about 9 months ago and I recieved some of his ashes. I have already
> wedged some of the ash into some Babu, but would like to use the
> rest in a glaze. I would love any information that any one might have.
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
Erik Olson on tue 15 mar 05
I am working on a project for a dear friend of mine. He passed away
about 9 months ago and I recieved some of his ashes. I have already
wedged some of the ash into some Babu, but would like to use the
rest in a glaze. I would love any information that any one might have.
Lee Love on wed 16 mar 05
Lotsa information in the archives.
Here is a snapshot of my google search from my new "Visual Bookmark"
weblog "Hanko: Potter's Stamp":
(just click on the snaphot)
http://hankos.blogspot.com/
SU STANDING BEAR ^6 OX. (Bill Edwards)
-------------------------------------------------------
Wollastonite10.00
Silica 15.00
EPK Kaolin 20.00
G-200 Potash Feldspar 20.00
Ferro 3134 30.00
Bone Ash (Human) 5.00
KNO 0.257 5.85%
CaO 0.738 13.32%
MgO 0.005 0.07%
Al2O3 0.335 10.99%
P2O5 0.047 2.15%
B2O3 0.302 6.78%
SiO2 2.839 54.91%
TiO2 0.231 5.93%
K2O 0.069 2.10%
Na2O 0.188 3.75%
Al:Si 8.470 Expan. 9.711
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://potters.blogspot.com/ WEB LOG
http://claycraft.blogspot.com/ Photos!
Bonita Cohn on wed 16 mar 05
hi - this is a repeat of a post I made in 1999. I
found it in the archives:
Studio Potter Magazine, June 1994, Vol. 22 #2, ran a
beautiful and
sensitive letter from Paul Soldner relating his
experience with the remains of a loved one. It was in
the very last few pages of the magazine. Their address
is: Studio Potter, Box 70 Goffstown, NH 03045,
603/774.3582. The Ceramics web
lists it under magazines. If you can't find this issue
in someone's library, order a back issue. The essence
of the article: He had a friend ball mill the larger
pieces, after sieving. He then used the milled and the
fine material 50/50 with a known glaze (temmoku,
celadon, raku). He used this glaze to slip trail onto
a bisked pot. Then he overglazed it with the base
glaze. It worked,even in raku.
Wherever the ash was, there was a blueish effect. Paul
pondered...was this his aura?
Bonita in San Francisco.
Bonita Cohn
http://www.bonitacohn.com
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Steve Irvine on wed 16 mar 05
Erik,
When I was called upon to do something like this, I simply made a 10 percent addition of the ash
to a favourite glaze and it worked out fine. There was a slight colour change in the glaze, as if a
small addition of iron chromate had been made, but still nice.
I was asked to use the human ash, or cremains, in a glaze by the wife of a friend. Her husband had
been part of a story telling group, and when they had their meetings they would pass a stone
around the circle to the person who was telling the story to show had the floor. My friend's wife
asked me to make a stone shaped pot and glaze it with her husband's cremains for the group to
use. So now he is still part of the monthly story telling get-togethers.
Steve Irvine
http://www.steveirvine.com
Donna J.S. Causland on wed 16 mar 05
I am stunned to read that people really do this!
For years my husband and I have had a joke that
if he is not "good" he would fit nicely into my large oval
Olympic. I only thought of that because he says he takes
me hiking with him because he can run faster ( we live in the
Rocky Mts., bears, mountain lions, etc.)
Seriously, it was a joke, albeit a little sick.
So I read your posts to my beloved.
After the look of shock and worry left his face,
he asked, can you really do that? He still has the
ashes of our sweet Jesse dog that he can't bear to part with yet.
He would love to have some of her ashes on a pot that he can use.
My question:
Do either of you know of a cone 6 oxidation glaze?
Just looking for a shortcut as I don't want to experiment too long
as this is not my usual direction.
I've been reading about sprinkling ashes on glazes to get a reduction =
effect.
I only have electric kilns but do have cone 6 porcelain.
Thanks for your input.
Donna,
Silverthorne, Colorado
Lee Love on thu 17 mar 05
Donna J.S. Causland wrote:
>I am stunned to read that people really do this!
>For years my husband and I have had a joke that
>if he is not "good" he would fit nicely into my large oval
>Olympic.
>
>
Donna, because there are so many more potters and kilns here in
Japan, you hear about potters on the news more often, sometimes in
crime. Back when fuel prices were first going up, they interviewed a
potter and an onsen (hot spring) ower and asked them how fuel prices
were effectng business.
.
Get a load of this related story:
Mainichi Daily
FUKUOKA February 18, 2005
An elderly potter who burned the body of a woman in his kiln
after his friend forced him at gunpoint to carry out the grisly crime
has been arrested, police said. Potter Koichi Shimoyama, 61, from
Kanada, has been accused of abandoning a body. "I burned the body
because my friend threatened me with a gun," officers quoted Shimoyama
as saying. "I didn't know whose body it was."
Link to full story here: http://hankos.blogspot.com/
>Do either of you know of a cone 6 oxidation glaze?
>
>
I include it again below:
SU STANDING BEAR ^6 OX. (Bill Edwards)
-------------------------------------------------------
Wollastonite10.00
Silica 15.00
EPK Kaolin 20.00
G-200 Potash Feldspar 20.00
Ferro 3134 30.00
Bone Ash (Human) 5.00
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://potters.blogspot.com/ WEB LOG
http://claycraft.blogspot.com/ Photos!
bill edwards on thu 17 mar 05
Before I go into any detail, first, I haven't been
watching this thread too close and may have missed
something. I am not sure why the glaze I had in the
archives would be matched to an issue where someone
was 'Pinched' for burning a corpse? (Another Blogged
format) But this was a very close friend and shared
for completely different reasons totally un-associated
with anything in the blog.
This glaze was a contribution to several. First, the
glaze was written out of respect for Su Standing Bear
who had asked me prior to her death to use her ashes
to make pottery and glazes from, for her family. Her
family called me once she passed on and presented me
with crematory ashes done by a professional, NOT in a
kiln like the link to the blog shows. The I.D. tag
from the professional crematory service was in-tact
with the cremains and the blessing of both the potter
deceased as well as the family. She was a very close
friend to me and a teacher.
The glaze was referenced for archival purposes to help
the small amount of people who may request future
remedies for using human ash in glazes or clay
mixtures. Great respect and admiration goes to Su in
past-tense and her family in present tense for
full-filling her last wishes as one of the areas
potters and teachers. They have been few teachers that
I would honor this high and with as much respect!
Bill Edwards
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Lee Love on sat 19 mar 05
On 2005/03/18 1:11:50, clayart@lsv.ceramics.org wrote:
>Before I go into any detail, first, I haven't been
>watching this thread too close and may have missed
>something.
That's what ya get for not paying attention Bill. ;-)
The Manichi Daily article was in reference to the previous
poster who lives in the wilderness and said their partner thought they
could just fit in their kiln. They then asked for a recipe for cone
6 (which was reposted early, because they weren't paying attention either.)
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://potters.blogspot.com/ WEB LOG
http://claycraft.blogspot.com/ Photos!
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