Vince Pitelka on tue 20 jun 06
> Vince, some of the most expensive bonsai pots from
> Japan are made of that fine-grained dark brown
> pottery. Any ideas about it? Most of them come from
> Tokonome and I was wondering if it was that wonderful
> Tokonome clay - the same that is used for the teapots.
> That is a low fire clay though.
> I'd love to know. Any of our Japan residents know?
Linda -
I don't know, but perhaps Lee Love or someone else might know. I have a
student who was raised in Japan and is a serious tea drinker, and has a
collection of Japanese and Chinese tea pots. Many of them are unglazed
fine-grain gray or brown stoneware. I have also noticed many bonsai pots
made from a similar claybody. I don't know why I didn't think of that
before I made that first post about unglazed planters. I guess I just had a
"senior moment," even though I'm only 57.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
Vince Pitelka on tue 20 jun 06
In a post yesterday I rather carelessly said that if planters are unglazed
on the outside it is difficult to get a good price for them. Peter
Cucinelli emailed me and asked that I look at his unglazed planters at
http://www.petercunicelli.com/Functional.html - they are very nice - simple
and elegant, with plates that match and fit very well. I realize that it
depends on the clay and the overall design. I remember now that my dad had
some Japanese planters that were unglazed inside and out, but were made of
fine-grain brown or black stoneware clay fired high enough to develop a nice
surface luster.
Regarding planters being glazed on the inside, my dad was a scientist with a
thorough understanding of botany, and was an avid indoor and outdoor
gardener. He said that planters should be unglazed on the inside because
roots are happier in contact with the unglazed surface. Apparently, when
the roots encounter a glazed surface, they are more likely to grow along
that smooth surface around the inside of the pot, which doesn't do the plant
any good. When encountering an unglazed clay surface, the roots usually
reverse direction and grow back into the soil mass, which is obvioulsy
better for the plant. I have seen both happen on glazed versus unglazed
planter interiors.
When I made the comment that unglazed planters would not bring good prices,
I was thinking of the old terracotta ones, but today there are so many
interesting planters being imported from South and East Asia, Spain, Italy,
Portugal, and Mexico, and it is difficult ot compete on price. Most of the
imported ones are earthenware, so the domestic potter wishing to compete
might be better off making stoneware planters. With unglazed planters, it
seems that the discerning customer wants an interesting, unusual functional
design, a lustrous, attractive clay surface, and a well-designed,
tight-fitting plate.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
Linda Ferzoco on tue 20 jun 06
Vince, some of the most expensive bonsai pots from
Japan are made of that fine-grained dark brown
pottery. Any ideas about it? Most of them come from
Tokonome and I was wondering if it was that wonderful
Tokonome clay - the same that is used for the teapots.
That is a low fire clay though.
I'd love to know. Any of our Japan residents know?
--- Vince Pitelka wrote:
I
> remember now that my dad had
> some Japanese planters that were unglazed inside and
> out, but were made of
> fine-grain brown or black stoneware clay fired high
> enough to develop a nice
> surface luster.
steve graber on sun 25 jun 06
i used Black Mountain Clay from my local Aardvark clay supplier (santa ana, ca) and th eresult is very much the same as my classy brown bonasi pots.
see ya
steve
Vince Pitelka wrote:
> Vince, some of the most expensive bonsai pots from
> Japan are made of that fine-grained dark brown
> pottery. Any ideas about it? Most of them come from
> Tokonome and I was wondering if it was that wonderful
> Tokonome clay - the same that is used for the teapots.
> That is a low fire clay though.
> I'd love to know. Any of our Japan residents know?
Linda -
I don't know, but perhaps Lee Love or someone else might know. I have a
student who was raised in Japan and is a serious tea drinker, and has a
collection of Japanese and Chinese tea pots. Many of them are unglazed
fine-grain gray or brown stoneware. I have also noticed many bonsai pots
made from a similar claybody. I don't know why I didn't think of that
before I made that first post about unglazed planters. I guess I just had a
"senior moment," even though I'm only 57.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
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Linda Ferzoco on mon 26 jun 06
Interesting Steve. Do you burnish them? Does that
clay have a fine texture or is it grogged?
Linda Ferzoco
--- steve graber wrote:
> i used Black Mountain Clay from my local Aardvark
> clay supplier (santa ana, ca) and th eresult is very
> much the same as my classy brown bonasi pots.
>
> see ya
>
> steve
Mark Issenberg on mon 26 jun 06
Steve , what cone are you firing to????
Gas or electric????
Once fired??????
Mark on Lookout Mtn
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