Lee Love on tue 11 apr 00
----- Original Message -----
From: Aiko Ichimura
>
> It is common to start pottery making from early 20s or earlier nowadays.
Yes. I know some people start later, after they realize that being a
"salary man" isn't for them. I met several people like this my first
couple months in Japan, from truck drivers to cell phone salesmen who have
taken up pottery. There is a special freedom for craftsmen and artists in
Japan that you don't find working for a company.
> It is awfully long time to wait until you reach 50 . What are the reasons
> for this, in your opinion ?. I assume that it is not that dificult to make
> a tea bowl technically. Making tea pot must be more dificult than making
> a tea bowl technically. There must be something else. Or, is this one of
> the tradition bound habits that you have to follow and respect without
> a good reason? I assume also that this is only for professional potters
> and not for amateur potters who make pots for private uses.
I don't know. I believe, because of tea ceremony, there are many
more nuances related to tea equipment. Probably, the minimum esential
experience for making tea ceremony equipment is having studied tea ceremony.
Best way to know if a bowl works is to make tea in it.
>
> I am impressed by your readiness to accept the Japanese tradition.
> I've heard so often that Japanese pottery studios have two standards: one
> for Japanese
> potters and another for foreigners( gaijin potters) and allows the
foreigner
> potters to
> do things that the Japanese apprentices were not allowed.
I've spent some time in Zen monastaries, so I was somewhat
familiar with the Japanese system.
I am treated differently, but it is difficult to put a finger on a
single reason. I am half American and half Japanese and I am 46.
Gaijin typical study 2 years and Japanese students 5 years. Things might
happen more quickly to fit them into two years. Sensei said VISA
restrictions were a reason for the shorter time requirement. Also, I think
that foregin students often have more experience than the typical Japanese
students before they start there studies here.
--
Lee Love
2858-2-2 , Nanai
Mashiko-machi
Tochigi-ken
321-4106
JAPAN
Ikiru@kami.com
Jeanne Wood on tue 11 apr 00
Hi Aiko,
You wrote
snip:
> It is common to start pottery making from early 20s
> or earlier nowadays.
> It is awfully long time to wait until you reach 50 .
> What are the reasons
> for this, in your opinion ?. I assume that it is not
> that dificult to make
> a tea bowl technically. Making tea pot must be more
> dificult than making
> a tea bowl technically. There must be something
> else.
Quite a few years ago I took a workshop from Toshiko
Takaezu among her wonderful comments was that sometime
in her past she had wanted to make tea bowls but said:
"I wasn't enough of a person yet".
Of course that left us young (in those days) fans of
hers thinking "SHE isn't enough of a person??!!! I'll
NEVER get there!"
I used to be quite involved in Middle Eastern Dance
too. Took a workshop from a highly respected master
teacher who said "Until you're 40 you have no reason
to dance."
Maybe making tea bowls is like that, until you're 50
you have no reason to make tea bowls."
Just wondering.
Cheers,
Jeanne W.
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.
http://im.yahoo.com
| |
|
