登り窯をご存知ですか?
Have you heard of Mashiko's Climbing Kiln?
仕切られた幾つもの窯が階段状に連なった構造で、傾斜地などを利用して造られた窯です。耐熱煉瓦(レンガ)で造られ、更から作ると何百万円もするのだとか。益子に2名しかいない築窯師(チクヨウシ)と呼ばれる職人さんが造ります。
It is a collection of kilns located on a slope. Each kiln has its section on a set of stairs. They are made out of bricks that are heat-resistant, and it costs a few million yens (tens of thousands dollars) to make one. People who specialize in building the set of kilns are called "Chikuyoshi", and there are only 2 of them in the entire city of Mashiko.
益子には実際に使われている登り窯が10基ほどありますが、陶芸メッセにある窯をご覧になりましたか?
There are currently 10 Climbing Kilns in total that are being actively used in Mashiko. Among them is the one in ”To-gei Messe”. Have you visited the place already?
あれは30年程前に見学用の目的で作られたものでした。ところが誰かが試しに使ってみよう言い出し、実際に使ってみたら何と、まともに焼けたという逸話があります。
That Climbing Kiln was built about 30 years ago just for display purposes only. But one day, someone suggested that they should try using it. For everybody's surprise, it actually worked.
耐熱煉瓦が足りなくて普通の煉瓦を使った部分は溶けていました。でも、その部分は耐熱煉瓦で補修し、それ以来、現役の登り窯として活用されているそうです。日本人の常として、見学用とはいえまじめに造ったのですね。
Some of the bricks that were used to build the Climbing Kiln at ”To-gei Messe” were not heat-resistant, so those bricks melted away. They were able to replace them, however, with heat-resistant ones afterwards. And it has been used as a functional Climbing Kiln. It shows a typical Japanese craftsmanship - they built them properly even though they were supposed to be just a display.
昨夏、その登り窯のお隣に角窯(カクガマ)が作られました。角窯とは窯が一つしかないものを言います。海外からの陶芸作家が傍にある宿泊所に寝泊まりしながらこの角窯を利用して作品を作り、益子の陶芸作家との交流を深めています。
Last summer, they have built a "Kakugama" next to the Climbing Kiln, which is a single kiln. Many artists from oversees visit it while staying at a nearby designated accommodation specifically for them. They enjoy creating their pottery with local Mashiko potters.
Have you heard of Mashiko's Climbing Kiln?
仕切られた幾つもの窯が階段状に連なった構造で、傾斜地などを利用して造られた窯です。耐熱煉瓦(レンガ)で造られ、更から作ると何百万円もするのだとか。益子に2名しかいない築窯師(チクヨウシ)と呼ばれる職人さんが造ります。
It is a collection of kilns located on a slope. Each kiln has its section on a set of stairs. They are made out of bricks that are heat-resistant, and it costs a few million yens (tens of thousands dollars) to make one. People who specialize in building the set of kilns are called "Chikuyoshi", and there are only 2 of them in the entire city of Mashiko.
益子には実際に使われている登り窯が10基ほどありますが、陶芸メッセにある窯をご覧になりましたか?
There are currently 10 Climbing Kilns in total that are being actively used in Mashiko. Among them is the one in ”To-gei Messe”. Have you visited the place already?
あれは30年程前に見学用の目的で作られたものでした。ところが誰かが試しに使ってみよう言い出し、実際に使ってみたら何と、まともに焼けたという逸話があります。
That Climbing Kiln was built about 30 years ago just for display purposes only. But one day, someone suggested that they should try using it. For everybody's surprise, it actually worked.
耐熱煉瓦が足りなくて普通の煉瓦を使った部分は溶けていました。でも、その部分は耐熱煉瓦で補修し、それ以来、現役の登り窯として活用されているそうです。日本人の常として、見学用とはいえまじめに造ったのですね。
Some of the bricks that were used to build the Climbing Kiln at ”To-gei Messe” were not heat-resistant, so those bricks melted away. They were able to replace them, however, with heat-resistant ones afterwards. And it has been used as a functional Climbing Kiln. It shows a typical Japanese craftsmanship - they built them properly even though they were supposed to be just a display.
昨夏、その登り窯のお隣に角窯(カクガマ)が作られました。角窯とは窯が一つしかないものを言います。海外からの陶芸作家が傍にある宿泊所に寝泊まりしながらこの角窯を利用して作品を作り、益子の陶芸作家との交流を深めています。
Last summer, they have built a "Kakugama" next to the Climbing Kiln, which is a single kiln. Many artists from oversees visit it while staying at a nearby designated accommodation specifically for them. They enjoy creating their pottery with local Mashiko potters.