Lee Love on sun 13 feb 05
I am firing today.
Craig, Mike, do you recognize the vessels? :-)
http://makigama.blogspot.com/
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://potters.blogspot.com/ WEB LOG
http://claycraft.blogspot.com/ Photos!
Kate Johnson on sun 13 feb 05
Lee, would you tell us a little more about the "kiln offering" concept?
This is something that resonates with me, from my Celtic background (don't
groan, all!)
>I am firing today.
>
> Craig, Mike, do you recognize the vessels? :-)
>
> http://makigama.blogspot.com/
>
I'd like to know if there's a Japanese tradition involved, and if other folk
traditions have similar ideas/offerings. Janet, in Wales? Kate the Tiler
in the UK? (I'm an historical folklorist wearing one of my other hats, and
traditions like this are fascinating.)
Regards,
Kate Johnson
Graphics/Fine Arts
http://www.cathyjohnson.info/
http://www.epsi.net/graphic/
http://www.ebsqart.com/Artists/cmd_1494_profile.htm
Lee Love on mon 14 feb 05
Kate Johnson wrote:
> Lee, would you tell us a little more about the "kiln offering" concept?
> This is something that resonates with me, from my Celtic background
> (don't
> groan, all!)
In Japan, at the beginning of the firing, the traditional offering
is salt and sake. My teacher (while I was an apprentice), had his
grandson bring the offerings from the house, to be place near the
firemouth of the noborigama at the beginning of the firing. Some
folks, like Kanjiro Kawai, have little shelves or alcoves built into
the kiln where the offerings are placed.
Traditionally, many craft practices in Japan were blessed
this why at their starting. From my perspective as a Zen student,
the main reason for doing this, and why I think it is still important,
is that it helps set a reverential attitude toward the work
activity.
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://potters.blogspot.com/ WEB LOG
http://claycraft.blogspot.com/ Photos!
Lee Love on mon 14 feb 05
Kate,
I just heard something related to this on NPR, To The Best
of Our Knowledge. The author of The Progress Paradox said that
in surveys when people are asked how much income is necessary for
happiness, they always seem to say, no matter how much they make, that
happiness is twice the amount they are making at the time.
Something that antidotes this kind of "consumer
consciousness", is giving thanks for what you have. The kiln
offering is one way to do this. I also do this when I sit down at the
week. I offer up the focusing on three slow breaths before I start
throwing.
Kate Johnson wrote:
>
>> Lee, would you tell us a little more about the "kiln offering" concept?
>> This is something that resonates with me, from my Celtic background
>> (don't
>> groan, all!)
>
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://potters.blogspot.com/ WEB LOG
http://claycraft.blogspot.com/ Photos!
Lee Love on mon 14 feb 05
Lee Love wrote:
> I also do this when I sit down at the week. I offer up the
> focusing on three slow breaths before I start throwing.
>
Sorry, this should read "when I sit down at the wheel." Also, the NPR
program I was talking about can be listened to here:
http://wpr.org/book/040222b.html
--
in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://potters.blogspot.com/ WEB LOG
http://claycraft.blogspot.com/ Photos!
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