July 21, 2010

• July 21, 2010 Imari

   Today Dotter and I visited the pottery town of Imari.  This town in Saga Prefecture was a port for the export of dishes made in Arita to Europe, and it also had its own secret kilns.

     

  These dishes portray the process of creating Imari Ware as well as the town of Imari itself, including the mountains from which the earth used to make the porcelain was dug.

  

  Some of the old tools used in creating the pottery are on display in a small museum.

  

  Can you feel the breeze?

  

  There is a place in this small museum where you can try your hand at creating your own special work of art.

  

  What else could the theme be but rabbits?

  

  

  These will be fired and sent to us later.  Dotter visited this place during her high school days, so this is her second trip.

  

  I am better with a camera than I am with a brush.

  

  Wind bells, large and small

  

  Here is the actual mountain from which the materials for the porcelain come.

  

  A bridge leading into the town

  

  On the Bridge - The railings are shard mosaics.

  

  Let's do some shopping!

  

  This was interesting, but I just took a picture.

  

     

  

  This is my favorite shop in Imari, with dishes painted by an artist named Bunzo. 

  

  His little old mother runs the shop.

     

  A small river runs through the town.

  

     

  Nice cup, nice price tag!                                This was a sample of drippy glaze.

  

  Another nice shop with Imari Ware

     

  "No Shard Harvesting Here!"  I loved this cup, but didn't love the price.  Oh well, at least a picture won't break.

  

  This was a lovely shop with many other Celedon Ware pieces.  As I remember, I got a small cup for DH.  That was all I could afford!

  

  We got an interesting science lesson.  The hotter the kiln, the greener the color.

     

  The bowl is translucent.

     

  Dern, I should have gotten one of these wind bells!

  

  Just LOVE the shopping, even if most of it is brought home in the camera!

  

  The day is about over, but I decided to take a walk to the Imari Shrine.

  

  Here is the main gate.  Dotter was tired and didn't want to come with me, so I explored a bit myself.

  

  The Shrine Map Done in Porcelain

  

  The Bridge in the lower left tile

  

  The inside of the shrine was quite hilly and dark, and since I was alone I decided not to explore it by myself.  It was time to head back to the hotel, anyway.

     

  The riverside was decorated with lamps and porcelain figures.

  

  The next morning we leave Imari for another pottery town, Arita.

  

  A Single Track Through the Woods

  

  • 08:20
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