Clay Times Back Issues Vol. 3 Issue 10 • May/June 1997 | Page 22

CERAMICS TOUR OF CHINA India Potters (continued from page 21) June 27-July 18, 1997 Focus on China’s pottery heritage and cultural treasures. Visit Shanghai, Yixing, Jingdezhen, Xian, Terra-Cotta Warriors, Beijing. $3700. In addition to visiting wellknown pottery sites, tour also includes must-see Chinese tourist attractions. For details, contact Professor Azzaro at [phone]. “Schatziboyz pin tools are great. They are just the right weight for comfort, feel good in the hand, and perform in the way superior tools are supposed to perform.” —Robin Hopper $12.95 http://www.mc.net/schatzi email: [email protected] KRUEGER POTTERY, INC. Skutt Kilns Shimpo Wheels Clays & Glaze Materials 8153 Big Bend • St. Louis, MO 63119 [phone] 22 ▼ are unique. The kiln is made of three brick walls in the shape of a square "U" with one end open. The wall at the closed end is approximately five feet tall and the side walls taper down to one foot or so at the open end. There are three evenly spaced 12-sq.-in. openings (what we would call burner ports) in the back wall at ground level. The largest pots are stacked upside down on six-inch cylinders (kiln furniture), leaving an air space under the pots throughout the kiln. The tumble stacking continues with the pots getting smaller and lighter as the kiln is packed to the top. The next step entails covering the pots with large shards until completely covered. Five or six top halves of broken water pots are evenly spaced in this shard wall and ultimately become small flues for this updraft kiln. Once this step is completed, a mixture of clay, grog and ashes from previous firings are mixed with water to a mud consistency and bucket after bucket is applied three or four inches thick over the shards to complete the arch and fourth wall. The kilns are fired with literally anything that will burn: sawdust, cow dung, sugar cane stalks, discarded bicycle tires, whatever. Fires are made at the three ports and once coals develop, they are pushed with a stick evenly throughout the kiln floor. My guess is the pots are fired to somewhere Vanaji Borude stacks the kiln. The Borude family completes the arch and fourth wall of the kiln. in the cone 010 range. In 1982 I brought back about 20 pots and several of them were shown at the 1983 NCECA conference held at Georgia State University here in Atlanta. In 1994, I made a video film (27 minutes) primarily on the Barude family which I share at workshops. What started off as a simple question has turned into a life's work. I feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity. ■ ENJOY CLAY TIMES? SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Please return subscription card on pg. 25. CLAY TIMES