Shining from the Ashes
- Large jar
- Kôyama Kiyoko (b. 1936)
- Stoneware with natural ash glaze
- Shigaraki, Japan, ca. 2000
- Gift of the artist, UMMA 2010/1.212
Drips of ash glaze extend unevenly down the sides of this large faceted jar, made by Shigaraki potter Kôyama Kiyoko. As a woman artist, Kiyoko had a difficult time in a mostly male craft. She gained fame when she mastered the lost art of natural ash glazing. Her firings last up to two weeks and glazes are formed as hardwood ashes in the kiln reach high temperatures and melt and adhere to vessels in unpredictable ways. Describing her work, Kiyoko said, "The pots are fired until the last possible moment when they are about to crumble in the heat; this long confrontation with the flames is a battle of strength and willpower."