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neriage clays

updated tue 5 sep 00

 

David McDonald on mon 4 sep 00


Lee,
That very red clay that Fukiyan uses in his neriage mix is produced by
an addition of red iron oxide into the lighter clay. Such a bright red!
So in that way he has three colors of clay to produce the contrasts in
his neriage; light, medium, and dark. In all the years since I was there,
I've produced many neriage pots using the same techniques I learned from
old Fukiyan, with excellant results. I've found that it's not that
important to worry too much about the different clays having exactly the
same shrinkage rate. I mean I wouldn't use porcelain and stoneware
together, but different colors of stoneware clays with the same maturing
tempurature tend to work fine together.
The kakubin (square vases), and kakusara (square plates), that Fukiyan
produces from his neriage clay undergo alot of compression in the forming
process, since they are press molded, and so separation and cracking is
minimized.
David McDonald
> At the workshop where I am studying, the Retired Foreman
> does
> neriage handbuilt work using regular Mashiko clay (it is a pretty
> light
> colored clay) and then one that has a very high iron content. Not
> sure
> exactly what it is (maybe David McDonald knows?) What I saw him
> make
> were kokubin (square mold-made vases and square trays) with a
> checkered
> pattern made from the two colored clays. Some had inlay too. It
> is very
> beautiful, with lots of variation because of the three types of
> clay. He
> cuts the clay with two notched boards and a cutting wire. The
> surface
> is scraped after it is dry and a clear ash glaze is put on top.
>
> --
> Lee Love
>

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