Production Process of Arita Porcelain

Here, we would like to briefly explain the production process of Arita-yaki porcelain, from molding to completion. The first step in the process of making porcelain is the preliminary work of quarrying stone, making clay, and kneading clay.

• Quarrying: The porcelain stones are crushed and sorted into different grades.
• Clay making: The smaller porcelain stones get further crushed with a crusher and then grinded into powder with a stamper.Then, water is added and the powder turns into clay.
• Kneading: Through kneading the clay becomes more consistent. The better the clay is kneaded, the less likely it is for the item to crack or bend when fired.

The molded and dried clay is fired at a relatively low temperature of approximately 900 degrees Celsius. This process helps prevent cracking by reducing shrinkage during the firing and makes it easier to apply underglaze painting.

The unglazed piece is painted with pigments called Gosu, which turns into indigo color when fired. Drawing the lines of the pattern is called Sen-gaki, line- drawing. The process of coloring within the lines using colors such as Gosu or cobalt blue is called Dami.

In the old days, Sen-gaki was done mainly by men, and Dami (painting inside lines) was done by women. This gender-based division of roles was traditional but is rarely followed today.

Firing

The pieces are fired at a high temperature of around 1300°C using wood or gas. Pieces painted only with Gosu, known as ‘Sometsuke’, are completed in this firing process.

This is the process of applying paints such as red, green, yellow, and gold, on the glassy surface of the glaze to the piece after the main firing process. Overglaze painting on white porcelain is called Akae. Some-nishiki refers to a piece that has underglaze painting as well.

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