Hosokawa-san’s Bizen-yaki pottery / sake cups for #DRO420

In the middle of a night leading up to our wedding preparations #DRO420, we visited notable Potter (and Ryoko’s friend) Hosokawa Takahiro 陶細川 敬弘 (insta) in Bizen during the multi-day firing (including load-in and cool-down etc) of the custom-made, hand-stamped (maple leaf stamp carved by Ryoko) saké cups we commissioned for our wedding guest gift bags. (if i recall correctly, started with 200, but) after the intense firing process, 142 unique cups made it through, each one a example of the unpredictability of Bizen-yaki. There is no glaze, only the fierce heat—ranging from 816 to 1157 degrees Celsius—and ash, which combined to create the distinct results this pottery is known for.

On this night—March 21, the Spring Equinox—the kiln reached a scorching 1118 degrees Celsius. The scene was still and dark, with only the occasional burst of smoke rising rapidly when fresh wood was added to the fire. We stayed through the night, drinking coffee (smoking cogs) and smelling the wood burning, while Hosokawa and another helper tended the kiln. Watching the olden process unfold as our saké cups were forged by the elements was a rare experience – “one time, one chance” as Ryoko said:

3月21日

AM1:00

1118 ℃

とても貴重な体験。
10日間夜通し焼き続けます。あたりは真っ暗。煙も見えない静かな夜。薪を入れた時だけものすごいスピードで煙が上がります。

one time one chance

Indeed, Hosokawa-san carries on a 500+year tradition of Bizen ceramic ware in which the pottery is fired in massive, hand-built, wood-fired kilns, sometimes (as i experienced in my old-time Japan days in 1993) large enough to walk inside.

For our commission, the cups were carefully placed, nested with straw, to be shaped by the fire, each emerging as an art piece for our guests to take to wherever they call home and recall the goodtimes when they have a sip.

More details of the exquisite #DRO420 gift bag – thanks to Rob and Sandra for capturing a solid shot :)

Further (generic) notes about Bizen (which is a town located a about 20 minutes of so from our home in Okayama as well as the the name given to the distinctive ceramics from the region) [ps we attended Bizen ceramic fest and duly documented the vendors sharing their wares (for some great prices) and a groovy multi-seat-row Tuk-tuk getting folks around]; 

“Bizen pottery, one of Japan’s oldest ceramic traditions, has been practiced for over 1,000 years. It is renowned for its earthy, unglazed finish, created by firing clay at high temperatures in wood-fueled kilns. The process uses no glaze; instead, the unique color and texture come from natural ash and the kiln’s extreme heat, producing organic, unpredictable patterns. Bizen pieces are often rugged and minimalistic, prized for their connection to nature and the unpredictability of the firing process.”

{The firing events reminded me of spending time at Utah State University with buddy Marty Kendall under the tutelage of noted Professor John Neely, with folks doing late night firings w/ beers, coffees, and smokes, and, the time I spent doing a ceramics class – focussing on unique fast firings in a University of Utah course at some unused school facility in Moab, burning my eyebrows off doing raku firing, and of course, back at Utah Valley community college first learning about ceramics – heck there’s the other time in the early Japan years where i visited a Bizen kiln which was like a massive walk-in beehive, did i i mention this? There are snapshots somewhere in the vault/kura}

After seeing the magnificent stacks of hardwood, both at Hosokawa’s kiln and his studio (did i make a dispatch about this?, oh yes seems i did – capturing the daytime scenes including the surrounding areas where i especially noted the pots shoved into walls and ceramic ware everywhere blending into the townscape), I did a bit of research about the kind of wood used in the firing and learned the following: 

“In Bizen pottery, the type of wood used is crucial to the firing process. Typically, red pine (akamatsu) is preferred for Bizen kilns due to its high resin content, which contributes to the desired ash buildup and helps create the beautiful natural glaze and color variations. Other hardwoods, such as oak and beech, are also used, but red pine is particularly prized for the ash effects it generates, which enhance the unpredictably rich patterns on the unglazed pottery.”

Knowing Japan’s love of lists, you’ll be unsurprised to know that there are 6 distinct ancient ceramic tradtions in Japan, each with own characteristics, ergo: 

With Ryoko’s love of tea bowls, i have a quest to have one (or more) from each area… please help me on my mission. She has several items from Hosokawa-san who’s work is gaining significant international notoriety and major exhibits!

We’ve visited the Hosokawa’s home as well where we enjoyed coffee and he pulled out wares from his private stash for our selection & we purchased wedding gifts for several cute duos.

Of course, i snapped all the outcast pieces worked into the landscape and the offering lined up each hoping for a forever home, and the stacks and stacks of wood – maybe will get to that one another time (maybe also snapped when we went to pick up the wedding cups… so many photo series!)

But in the short term, here is handsome and creative master potter Hosokawa-san staring ya down:

Bonus(es):