I have a good French's friends.

When they came to Japan last year, they visited MAGOKORODO and me.

They were very polite and were wonderful people who love Japanese culture.

Bizen ware, SHUNKO-ENN's cup

HAGI ware ,DEISHI's GOHONDE gl YUNOMI Teacup

HAGI ware,SEIGAN bule YUNOMI Teacup

Hagi ware, DEISHI's Chamfered cup

Daisen ware, Toshiyuki Suzuki, The bowl and plates of iron glaze

Hagi ware, SEIGAN's sea cucumber glaze cup

 KAZUWA Wear, Yoshiko Yamane's YUNOMI teacup

Hagi ware, SEIGAN's SINSEN-SEIJI glaze cup

Hagi ware, SEIGAN's sea cucumber glaze cup 

Hagi ware, SEIGAN blue glaze cup

 The shelves which he made from handmade, and his beautiful collections

His blog :La Voie du Thé

I do not notice that these photos were taken in France without explanation.

Very Japanese!

DOMO ARIGATO GZAIMASU for loving Japanese culture and art , My friend !!!

I am waiting for your next visit!

Magokorodo/Hidehisa

I visited his kiln of Saga Prefecture in Kyushu, in order to meet Ceramist TETSUAKI NAKAO this month.
His report will appear in a Magokorodo website by the end of this month.

GYOKU-HO kiln website URL (http://www.gingayu.com/index.php).

I introduce the Kintaikyo bridge and the Shuhodo cave in Yamaguchi Prefecture, before introducing his kiln.

Akiyoshidai is the largest karst plateau in Japan, and has been designated a quasi-national park and Special Natural Monument.

http://english.karusuto.com/

Many souvenir stores which sell ores, Hagi ware, etc. are located in a line with the entrance in Akiyoshido Cave.

Much nature is left behind here and water is very beautiful.

This is an entrance of a cave.
I was overwhelmed by natural power and beauty.

Kintaikyo bridge

The outline of a Kintaikyo bridge

One of the three Japan bridges a "Kintaikyo bridge"  A Kintaikyo bridge is a wooden bridge representing Japan.

In the feature, the 5 continuation curvature bridge of the unique figure which otherwise does not look at an example is specified as the scenic spot of the country in 1922.

Bridge length/(210m of distance along the surface) (distance in a straight line of 193.3m), They are 5m in width, and 6.64m in height of abutments of a bridge.

  History of a Kintaikyo bridge

First employer HIROIE KIKKAWA of the Iwakuni domain in Iwakuni built the Iwakuni castle in 1608 on the top of Yokoyama who is a ground of the natural fort besieged by the winding Nishiki-river.

Having arranged the residence and the upper samurai mansion at the foot, I put the middle class, a lower samurai's residence, and the man's in the street house on Nishikimi of the Nishiki-river opposite shore, and they formed the Iwakuni castle town.

Yokoyama and Nishikimi were separated by the Nishiki-river with a river width of about 200m, and the bridge was indispensable because of politics.

3rd employer and HIROYOSHI KIKKAWA decide to construct the bridge through which I do not flow into the Nishiki-river which is a flood river.

Then, he got the design for a Kintaikyo bridge for the figure which HIROYOSHI was describing at the Xi Hu sight-seeing magazine and which applies a stone bridge along an island to the hint.

And the Kintaikyo bridge which was an earnest wish of the Iwakuni domain was completed in October, 1673.

Although some bridges were spilt out by the flood next year, I strengthened pavement before the year end, and was rebuilt.

I was not spilt out although the repair and the construct substitute by superannuation were performed for 276 years since then repeatedly.

And while being constructed again, improvement piled up.

However, while many citizens watch, also regrettably, the Kintaikyo bridge has been lost by rise of water of the Nishiki-river by the Kezia typhoon in September, 1950.

Then, on the whole, Kibe's bruise came to be conspicuous, although rebuilt with civic zeal in January, 1953 about 50 years after.

Therefore, reconstruction construction was performed using the construction method which combines a traditional tree by the hand of the craftsman of Iwakuni which inherits tradition from the autumn of 2001.

Five curvature bridges adhered to the beauty of the arch, and were born again in March, 2004.
The structure of the curvature bridge serves as structure whose intensity increases further by the pressure from the bridge upper part by the technique which combines a strong tree.

It is estimated that the technology which constructs a bridge without a bridge pier for between 35m is perfect, in view of present-day bridge engineering, and while being surprised very much by front technical capabilities 300 years or more, I bear the sense of reverence.

If the back of a Kintaikyo bridge is looked up at from the dry river bed of the Nishiki-river, you can see dynamic structure beauty.  

Moreover, the abutments of a bridge which carried out the streamline shape to the stream have an effect which reduces the pressure of water, and the pavement with which the circumference of abutments of a bridge was covered has reinforced the root of abutments of a bridge.

The beautiful iris garden was located at the site of the castle near the Kintaikyo bridge.

Thank you for visiting MAGOKORODO Website.

Have a wonderful Teatime!!!

Hidehisa,Magokorodo.Co.Ltd.

Thank you for always visiting Website of MAGOKORODO!

Since the friend of Belgium sent fun pictures, I write about Bizen ware.

My friend sent the pictures of title "NEZUMI-BIZEN" to me.

NEZUMI is a "mouse" in Japanese.

The color which Japanese people usually imagine with a "mouse" is "gray."

"Gray" calls it "NEZUMI-IRO" in Japanese.

When "NEZUMI-BIZEN" written by my friend translates literally, it is "gray Bizen ware."

Although the work of a picture is not gray, they are "a mouse and Bizen ware."

 
His pet is "KAWAII"!

"NEZUMI" may be attached and expressed in the ceramics which changed into the non-oxygen state and were discolored bluish with Japanese pottery.

"NEZUMI-HAGI or AO-HAGI", "NEZUMI-SHINO or AO-SHINO", etc.

In the case of Bizen ware, "NEZUMI" does not use, but they are called "AO-BIZEN".

"AO" is "blue" in English.

There are two kinds of blue Bizen ware.

AO-BIZEN:

Ceramics will be in a strong reduction state, without fire touching directly, or the ceramics which became cooling reduction will become blue with the bright whole - blue - black.

This is called blue Bizen and these are especially treasured a few also in many colors.

Salt blue :

There are one more and salt blue in blue Bizen.

This is throwing in salt in kiln during firing, melts the surface by the alkali of salt and is made to color in blue by reduction.

These are kinds of salt glaze.

 
Since the surface is changed to glaze, unlike blue Bizen described previously, the surface is smooth.

In addition, a work can be put into the container called "MURO", non-oxygen can be made from the present age in a container in intentionally, and blue Bizen can be compulsorily made from it.

Black Bizen :

With black Bizen, the clay to which it colors black is applied to the ceramics surface, and it is made. Moreover, it is the Bizen ware which made and fired ceramics with the clay which becomes black. Black Bizen is called "INBE-TE" (INBE style).

* All the Bizen ware works currently sold in MAGOKORODO are fired with firewood, and the works which attached the pattern and the feature in intentionally are not sold.

 MAGOKORODO Ebay Store

I think that I would like to write next time about wonderful "water purification action" which Bizen ware has. 

ARIGATO GOZAIMASHITA for reading to the last!

Hidehisa/Magokorodo.Co.Ltd. 

Other day very beautiful pictures have been sent from my friend of Belgium, ceramist "ginkgo" of Switzerland.

WoW！

The SHINO glaze which she made is very beautiful!

 These glaze seems to be a crystal!
DOMO ARIGATO GOZAIMASHITA, Ginkgo!

Although it is very beautiful there, it seems to be very cold in Belgium.
 -9 degrees!  

SEIGAN-SANSAI CHAWAN is very beautiful!

ARIGATO GOZAIMASHITA!!! 

The friend of Belgium!  

I am HIDE of MAGOKORODO.

I am sorry that renewal of a blog is long overdue.

MAGOKORODO did the move of the office in September.

Although the move was ended with no problems later than the schedule, the work stopped between moves had accumulated.

Therefore, I did not have time at leisure at all. While the blog had stopped, I apologize from the bottom of my heart to all the people who visited MAGOKORODO Website.

I received ceramics work collection pictures from my important customer who lives in Belgium!

If these pictures in which works are actually carefully treated like are seen, ceramists and we will be very glad and will be impressed.

ARIGATO GOZAIMASU!!!!

He has almost all ceramists' works currently sold at my store!

ARIGATO GOZAIMASU agin!!!!

These works are TEBINERI ICHIRIN-ZASHI (bud vase pinch-work works) of a KAZUWA ware. 

These are the wood-block prints and white porcelain Teabowls of YUASA HIROSHI. WOOOOW!!!

This view is a view we have got it used to seeing at the home in Japan.

But this place is Belgium!

Thank you for loving Japanese culture!

Can you see those KANNYUU (tea incrustation sedimentary intrusion) which permeated the surface of these works ?

Appearance is gradually changed by using for the glaze surface fine cracks and the works which have a crevice in the ground for a long time.

Especially Hagi ware takes out effect nicer as it uses.

ARIGATO GOZAIMASHITA for great pictures!!! my friend of Belgium!

The whereabouts of the Tanabe art museum is carried out to the side of the Matsue castle of Matsue-shi, Shimane.

 "The modeling exhibition of the tea ceremony" was called gateway to a ceramist, and there was an application of 460 works this time from 293 persons of Chugoku district each prefecture, Shikoku district each prefecture, and Hyogo Prefecture.

I looked at winning work article 72 works this time.
60 percent of works were Bizen ware.

To an every year "modeling exhibition of the tea ceremony", I think it conspicuous that many Bizen-Yaki are sent.

Mr. ICHINO-MASAHIKO's "KAZE (wind)" won the Tanabe art museum grand-prix.

But I liked Mr. TSUKIOKA-SABURO's NERIAGE cold water container.
Though regrettable, I cannot publish the pictures of exhibition works.
I took general view of the Tanabe art museum, and the pictures of the yard.

I ate duck nanban buckwheat noodles by SOBA-DOKORO YAKUMO-AN(出雲蕎麦処八雲庵), after looking at the work exhibition.

Izumo SOBA 蕎麦 (buckwheat-noodles) place YAKUMO-AN of Shimane is a buckwheat noodle shop very near the Tanabe art museum.

Izumo buckwheat-noodles place YAKUMO-AN is inside of a shop with the effect which remodeled the remains of a samurai residence, and it gets the duck nanban the hand-made buckwheat noodles (Izumo buckwheat noodles) of the home and the broth of the duck are effective skilled, feeling the four seasons.

Duck nanban buckwheat noodles(鴨南蛮蕎麦/KAMO-NAMBAN SOBA)

The courtyard at especially the site of a restaurant was very very beautiful!

If you may go to the Matsue castle of Matsue-shi, Shimane, please visit the Tanabe art museum and YAKUMO-AN.

Report by / MAGOKORODO,HIDE

KONNICHIWA!!! , I am Hidehisa of Magokorodo.

Although my work is the work which sells the pottery works of Japanese every place, I myself make ceramic works.

I think that I myself need to study more about pottery, in order to sell good works.

And my customers also have the ceramists in the world.

They do some shopping in my store, in order to add a new taste to its own works or to use their own works as a better work.

 
I decided that I myself made works, in order to reply to their question.

I have been only five years since I began ceramic art.

Since I find the interval of work and works are made, my arm is still unripe.

I did not have former that I introduced my own works on the Magokorodo website.

I made new works, in order to present to my friends this month.

I made white porcelain works for the first time.

These are bowls and chopstick rests.

Since I wanted to make the bowls in which the sharpness of white porcelain is not given, I made white porcelain clay from TEBINERI (pinching work).

 
Since I shaved the work to the limit, the weight of bowls is light.

And I used glass to some chopstick rests.

 
Although my ceramic art technique was unripe, I desired to leave my own works to my Website, before presenting my friends these works.

Thank you for seeing my poor English and works.

Magokorodo/Hidehisa

Thank you for always seeing Magokorodo Website.

I introduce Website and the blog of ceramist "ginkgo" of Switzerland which are making wonderful works to pottery lovers.

I like very much the "warmth" which ginkgo works have !

Please visit ginkgo Website, if you have  interest to ginkgo works .

ginkgo's Website: http://www.theiere.net/

ginkgo's Blog : http://tpotginkgo.blogspot.com/
 

ARIGATO GOZAIMASHITA!!!
Magokorodo

This work is "SEIGAN, blue Hagi ware, and a camfering MACCHA Teabowl."

I'm very glad that powdered green tea is drunk all over the world, and Magokorodo ceramists' works is used!

I am happyer if beautiful pictures are sent from other customers who looked at this blog!

Thank you for always seeing Magokorodo!

Tea incrustation permeates the crack called KANNYU (sedimentary intrusion) like this photograph, and the Teabowls and teacups with which white glaze was used continue change of appearance.
These change is called "HAGI NO NANA BAKE" (Hagi ware 7 change).

Thank you for sending photographs!

Respect! and ARIGATO GOZAIMASHITA!!!

 
MAGOKORODO

But the Teabowl had already broken, when it arrived.

Then, he requested Japanese lacquer repair of the work to me.
I requested restoration of his Teabowl to the japanner.
Restoration is fundamentally pasted up with a lacquer.
Gold etc. are applied on those Japanese lacquer.

In the studio where I requested restoration, the material was able to be chosen from five kinds (http://po6.nsk.ne.jp/~nusiya/syuuri/sozai.html).

Lusterless Gold.
Lusterless Silver.
Polish Gold.
Polish Silver.
Polish Red copper. 

My customer chose the lusterless silver which matches SEIGAN blue.
Since a SEIGAN blue Teabowl appeared just like the universe, he likened the Teabowl after restoration with the Galaxy by choosing silver as a repair material.

We waited for the repair period of about two months, and received the restored Teabowl.

The restored blue Teabowl looked true like the Galaxy of the universe!

 
Finally he desired to write a craftsman's restored signature to the reverse side of the lid of a storage box.

The craftsman who restored accepted his proposal pleasantly.

The japanner's YAGI-San restored this Teabowl.

His studio is "URUSHI KOBO NUSHIYA" (Japanese lacquer studio NUSHIYA).
(http://po6.nsk.ne.jp/~nusiya/) .

I learned lot by this restoration.
The work after restoration was again born in a completely new work.
And the work was blown in a new life and showed the figure which is completely different to us.
I was able to realize anew the importance using a thing carefully and for a long time, and the traditional restoration technique of Japan which does not spoil beauty.

I went in Hagi to the business trip in April, 2008.
Immediately after work finished, it always returned to Tottori, but time had a margin on that day.
Then, I went to Yukawa Family Old Residence (旧湯川家屋敷).

The irrigation canal of population called AIBA-GAWA (Aiba river) fixed in 1744 is flowing into the reverse side of Yukawa-Ke.
The Yugawa house was a keeper of this irrigation canal.
Although the guide had said to me that the Yugawa house was a lower samurai, I was surprised at the large house.

 The pond of this beautiful garden is also connected with the AIBA river.

Much TSUKUBAI (water basin) was installed in the Yugawa house.
The janitor had decorated TSUKUBAI with very beautiful TSUBAKI (camellia).

This was very beautiful WABI.

This is the washing place currently installed in the house.

The river is flowing in the house! The mortar and pestle under a photograph run by the power of a water wheel.

 Adhesion of water and a life is very deep in the house in Yugawa.

 The upper photograph is a cookhouse.

A lower photograph is an old bathroom.

This is a tearoom.
The interior of a room of the tearoom here was the tearoom which it was bright and was opened.

Supposing you may go to Hagi, please visit once to a Yukawa house and Gensyu-Gama.

By MAGOKORODO

ARIGATO-GOZAIMASU!!!!

She decorates this bud vase with the beautiful flower every day.

The bud vase included in the basket of this bamboo is the work which Mr. Deishi made from limitation. How beautiful!

These works are "KEIZO-IGA WABI-CHAWAN (photograph left)" of ATARSHI KEIZO, and "HAGI ETSUKE-CHAWAN (photograph right)" of YAMANE SEIGAN.
Thank you for loving Japanese culture!