Loading and Firing a Japanese anagama kiln. Ash, Ember, Flame: a Japanese Kiln in Oxford

See for yourself the amazing process of loading and firing a Japanese wood-fired anagama pottery kiln. These esoteric kilns produce unique work that cannot easily be replicated, even across multiple firings of the same kiln: the work is produced by the specific loading and firing of each kiln, with an unpredictable serendipitous factor at play. Carefully loading and firing over three continuous days is necessary to achieve successful results. This video captures the whole process of the firing, in a interesting look at how these kilns work.
This video was taken at the 24th firing of the Oxford University Kilns anagama, which was fired specially for the ASH, EMBER, FLAME: a Japanese Kiln in Oxford exhibition at the Embassy of Japan.
To read more about the exhibition, please follow the link below:
www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_e...
In October and November 2021, a team of potters, community groups and students came together for two special firings of the Oxford University Kilns' smallest anagama. Most had never fired a wood kiln before, let alone an anagama, which are technically challenging to fire. In a broad educational and social firing, the techniques of firing the kiln were taught and learnt, and through collaborative effort the pots that had been made specifically for the exhibition were fired.
Included in the firing were pots from famous studio potters based in the UK and beyond, community groups, school children, and up and coming ceramicists in an egalitarian firing aimed at exposing a large group of people to the art of making pottery in a Japanese anagama. The unique conditions of the project, combined with the esoteric nature of anagama kilns, has culminated in the production of work that is as exciting to look at as it is significant, where serendipity and intention have produced works of art that are unrepeatable and beautiful. These works are on display for the first time in the Embassy.
Discover these fascinating kilns, and the project itself, through remarkable objects that have been decorated by the interplay between ash, ember and flame in a Japanese anagama kiln.
The firing took place in collaboration with the Oxford University Kilns, and The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH) as part of the Humanities Cultural Programme Japan Season. The Embassy would like to thank the large number of volunteers who gave up their time to take part in the firing of the kilns, and to all of the ceramic artists and educators who ran outreach programmes as part of the project.