Shingama, a kiln in Seto City, Aichi Prefecture
We visited the workshop in the northeastern part of Seto and asked about it!
Shingama is a pottery maker with a history of 100 years in the land of pottery. Currently, the kiln is run by the family of Shinya and Mihoko Kato, the third generation, and their daughter, Mayuki Kato, the fourth generation.
I visited in the evening of a winter day.
A gentle sunset was shining into the workshop in the mountains surrounded by nature. The space in front of the workshop is filled with Shingama's works.
A very nice work room that matches Mayuki's atmosphere. You said you painted the walls yourself.
painted works. It felt good to be blown by the wind.
Mayuki-san studied in the International Relations Department of a university and also studied abroad in Germany. Born into a family of Seto dyeing kilns, he was interested in pottery, but to be honest, she was not good at making pottery. Above all, it seems that it was very painful when inspiration did not come. Fortunately or unfortunately, due to this corona, there was no time to be chased by the delivery date for a while, so she was able to organize and embody the ideas that were scattered in her head. The vase that I handled this time was also completed at that time.
Different patterns are drawn on both sides, so it's nice to be able to change the atmosphere depending on the mood of the day and the flowers.
The bright Gosu color (gosu: a pigment made mainly from cobalt oxide) shines gently on the white base, which is a characteristic of Shin-gama. By using a firing method unique to the Seto region called “Nerashi” (burning at a high temperature for a certain period of time), it is possible to express a fresh and dignified blue.
All items are carefully made with a warm texture so that you can enjoy the traces of handwork.
A bowl with a beautiful hemp leaf pattern by Mayuki, who is also certified as a traditional craftsman.
It is a refreshing and classy product that seems to be very useful on special days.
Next to the workshop, there is a very cute baked confectionery shop and cafe "mitten" run by my sister. Also, it seems that the store of the product is currently a reservation system, so please call us when you come to the store!
Since it is a city of "setomono", which is the origin of the word for pottery in general, there are many people who are involved in work related to pottery. It is said that there are many things that can be resolved through consultation. Ms. Mayuki is actively trying out various things, such as transmitting information overseas and interacting with various artists. I'm looking forward to your wonderful works!
Click here for Shingama
