Exploration of Ceramic Production

Process of Manufacturing Porcelain		  

Bisque firing
Formed and dried pieces are fired at relatively low temperatures of 800 to 1000C. The process of firing unglazed reduces shrinkage when followed by a glazed firing.		 image image

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Underglaze Line drawing
A design is copied and outlined in gosu (ink) on the bisque piece.		 image image
Underglaze infilling
After outlining the design, the piece is in-filled, which is called 'dami.' Subsequently the piece is glazed.		 image image

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Main firing
The glazed piece is fired at a high temperature of about 1300C to make it stronger and finer. Firing using firewood in a climbing kiln (nobori-gama) takes several or very many days.		 image image

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Overglaze enameling (outlining) (1)
The glazed and fired piece is overglaze-enameled because outlines in enamel are applied after glazing and main firing. This process is called 'aka-etuke' in Arita.		 image image
Overglaze enameling (in-filling) (2)
After outlining the design, the piece is in-filled. The mixes of overglaze enamels have been secretly handed down in the individual potter families.		 image image

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Finishing of overglaze enamel porcelain
The overglaze enameled piece is finished by firing again at a temperature of about 800C.		 image  
*All the photographs and animations of the production scenes are extracted from the video "The Story of Arita Ware" made by the Kyushu Ceramic Museum in Saga Prefecture.