December 2004

By LJ Evans
Photos by Todd Paris and video by Carla Browning, University Relations

Ceramics students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks get to work with fire in a big way during the week-long firing of a kiln built in the same basic style as those of ancient Japan and China.

"People were firing pots this exact same way thousands of years ago," said James Brashear, associate professor of ceramics in the UAF art department. "There's no glaze on the pots, all the color comes from the fire depositing ash as it travels through the kiln. The mark that the fire makes is every bit as important as the marks of the potter's hands."

UAF's anagama, or "tunnel" kiln, located on the grounds of the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, was built under Brashear's supervision in 1994 through a University of Alaska president's special projects grant. Summer session students in a Kiln Design and Construction class excavated the ground and stacked fire brick to form a long tunnel shape similar to an ancient Chinese kiln. Designed with a single chamber, the teardrop-shaped kiln is built into a hillside with the firebox at the base. The wood used as fuel, the slope of the hill, the shape of the kiln and the placement of the firebox are all key elements which enable this type of kiln to reach temperatures of more than 2400 degrees Fahrenheit, just as they did over 3,000 years ago.

"Teaching pottery using this kind of kiln makes it possible to weave in lessons about things as diverse as aesthetics, chemistry, technology and how intense heat affects different materials," Brashear said. "There are even aspects of history and cultural anthropology involved. It's not coincidental that different cultures developed different kinds of kilns. In Asia the process is as important as the end product, and firing an anagama kiln is definitely process-driven."

To create lasting works of art and utility out of clay using a wood-fired kiln, Brashear and his students first create the pots in the ceramics studio using potter's wheels or hand-building techniques. Once dry, the fragile pots are carefully moved from the studio across campus to the kiln shed. Brashear takes turns with experienced students climbing deep inside the 27-foot kiln as other students hand them pots of various shapes and sizes. The pots might range in size from two-inch sake cups to four-foot sculptures. He stacks the pots so that when the fire is kindled the flames flow evenly around each pot, but not so close that they touch and fuse in the extreme heat. Depending on the size of the pots, it can take between 300 and 500 pieces to fill the kiln. Once the pots are fired the clay and minerals are chemically altered and permanently hardened; they become more like stone than earth.

"The best part is seeing the variation in everybody's pots," said art education student Krista Brown. "It's always a surprise how it turns out. You never quite know what to expect. Making pottery in this kind of kiln has a more indigenous feel to it, it's like getting to the roots of how ceramics have been made for thousands of years."

Once the kiln is loaded, students stack large fire bricks to close the opening. After the fire is kindled, the kiln must be minded around the clock since firewood needs to be added every few minutes. Students sign up for four-hour shifts and camp out at the shed through the night, sometimes at temperatures considerably below zero. A firing can use anywhere from two to four cords of spruce slabwood, which UAF buys as waste from a local lumbermill. Small peep holes intentionally left in the side of the kiln allow monitoring of the internal temperature by watching small wedges or "cones" of ceramic material which slump as specific temperatures are achieved. Once the optimum firing temperatue and time are reached, the students stop feeding the flames. Cooling the kiln enough to remove the pots typically takes a couple of days, Brashear says. Since the process is so work-intensive, the anagama kiln is only fired two or three times a year.

"One assignment I always give beginning students is to reproduce historical pots," Brashear said. "This gives them some hands-on insight into these ancient pottery-making traditions. In a time of piped gas, electric kilns and automatic shut-off systems, it's good to remind students of the rich heritage of this ancient medium."

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Facts about anagama kilns

Anagama, meaning "tunnel" kiln, is an ancient style of kiln which originated in China and spread to Japan and Korea. The beauty of anagama-style firing lies in the natural ash glazes that can be achieved and in the process of the firing itself, appreciated by many potters all over the world.

There are many different designs for anagama kilns, with their origins in many different cultures. There are also varied methods of firing and stacking. No two firings are ever exactly alike.

Anagama kilns usually consist of one long firing chamber with a firebox at one end and a flue at the other. Often there are also smaller stoking ports on the side of the kiln. Traditional anagama kilns are built on a slope, so that a better updraft can be achieved. Firing time can vary from one day to several weeks.

Source: Adapted from http://www.ceramicstoday.com/articles/anagama.htm (Bad URL: preserved for history)

View a glossary of ceramic terms

View the gallery of photos from the Fall 2004 anagama kiln firing.

For more information, please contact:

• James J. Brashear, UAF art department, at (907) 474-5541 or ffjjb1@uaf.edu.

Useful links for more information:

Encarta pottery entry: http://ca.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761568150_1/Pottery.html (Bad URL: preserved for history)