Kamaka Pottery History 1990

KAMAKA POTTERY

ESTELLE & BRUCE MARTIN
Valentine Road, R.D.5, Hastings
NEW ZEALAND

KILN Modern Style ANAGAMA of approximately 500 cub feet
Length including flue: 12m; Inside chamber: 6 x 2.1 x 1.8m.
Fired with radiata pine for 9 – 10 days.

BRIEF HISTORY   Twenty years making domestic pottery firing an oil fired kiln. In 1978, visited Japan, doing a Folk Craft study. We became aware of the method of firing used to achieve the natural surfaces we had always admired – pots from Anagama kilns. At this stage we found a potter, Sanyo Fujii, at Kodera, who was using a modern style anagama.

On our return to New Zealand we resolved to build such a kiln and our kiln design is based on the kiln in Kodera, the plans of which were kindly sent to us.

The first firing was in 1982 and, although we had never fired a wood-fired kiln before, was successful enough to encourage Sanyo Fujii to come to New Zealand.

With the one-to-one tuition we were able to make Tea Ceremony wares and to learn the loading and firing techniques traditionally used with anagama kilns. Basically, the whole process is carried out by two of us – 28 tonnes of wood, split ready, stacked and dried. Roughly 1000 pots made, shelves cleaned and setters made and the kiln loaded.

The first five days we tend the kiln ourselves, taking twelve hour shifts. After this time, two of our sons arrive, and we continue with twelve hour shifts with two stokers on duty during the period of side-stoking. The firings take ten days to complete.

In all the process takes ten months so only one firing is carried out each year. We rely entirely on the ash flames and smoke to colour and glaze the pots. Depending on their position in the kiln and the iron content of the clay for variety and effect.

The reason for our interest in Tea Ceremony: Sanyo Fujii is a Tea Ceremony potter and when he was in New Zealand he instructed us in the making of these wares so that we could have a joint exhibition with him at the Mitsukoshi Art Gallery, in Osaka, in 1984.

We became intrigued with the imprecise throwing and altering which was completely opposite to domestic ware making. We have continued to make Tea Ceremony wares, along with Ikebana containers, the anagama effects being a great foil for floral work.

In 1990, we fired the large anagama for the final time, the work becoming too much for our age. A small anagama filled our need to continue, firing in 3 1/2 days and holding 60 – 80 pots. It was really a very simple and easy kiln to use, based on an evolving, expanding and diminishing series of catenary arches, fired in the same was as the large kiln.