onta yaki -2

Throwing pots are men's job in Onta. The men do anything that needs physical strength and anything else around it is women's job such as making glazes and glazing. Each family can have only two kick wheels and strictly family male members that throws. They don't take craftsman from outside. If they get only girls in the family she has to marry somebody who is willing to be a husband and potter.

What's unique about their pot is decorating techniques called 'tobi kanna' using soft metal turning tool (but it doesn't curve, it just makes marks you see in the picture), 'uchi hakeme' (brush marks but not strokes, it's created by patting a brush on a plate turning on the wheel), 'yubi kaki' (finger marks) and 'kushi kaki' (comb marks). These techniques are brought by a korean potter about 300 years ago.

The studio is like this, very simple. They have to keep the stove running when cold to prevent cracks in clay. They keep thrown pots until they've got enough to fill the kiln. 5 families use their communal kiln and others have their own. They have a firing every 2 months, which is again their communal work.

These are thrown. It requires such a skill to do this precise job! (I can never do it!) Their signature mark on the back is not their own but their village 'onta' and the village is their identity. But funny enough, the pots from each family has slight difference in the finish and it's enjoyable to really try to find your favourite.

All the materials for making pots is locally resourced, and they have a strong bond in the community. It sounds like a very harmonic and utopian way of life to me...

小鹿田の男性の仕事は器を作る事とその他力仕事で、器作りの技術は父親から息子へのみ受け継がれます。小鹿田の女性の仕事はその他の雑用、釉がけなどです。私たちが訪ねた日曜日は、一軒の窯元さんの仕事をしている様子を見せてもらうことができました。これだけ形を整えて作るには、かなり高度な技術が必要です。（脱帽！）

小鹿田焼の特徴な跳び鉋、打ち刷け目、櫛描き、指描きの装飾は、朝鮮から連れてこられた陶工が持ち込んだ技法で、今も10軒の窯元がそれらの技を使い、上り窯を2ヶ月毎に炊くのも共同作業です。薪は、近辺の山から。

どの窯元で作られようと印は「小鹿田」と言うだけですが、それぞれに微妙な違いがあって、それが小鹿田に行く面白みでもあると思います。近辺の土地からの恵みを活かしたモノ作りと村としての絆、理想的な在り方のようにも思えますが、どう感じますかしら？