I spent the day today looking at some of the pots I have collected. Two of those pots are in the photo below. They were both made in Tokoname but by different potters. What jumped out at me today was the differences in the glazes.
They are both cream pots and from what I can tell, they would have both looked very similar in colour when they were brand new. Where the difference lies is that the Yamafusa pot has the beginnings of a really nice patina forming on it. Neither pot is particularly expensive but the patina that has started to form really starts to give the feeling of age to the Yamafusa pot.
What is patina? As far as I can tell, patina is a build up of grime and oils that attach themselves to the surface of pots. Once on, it is a permanent reminder of its past. Patina tends to form at the base of the pot and slowly creep its way up to the rim. If you look at the image above you can see how the patina is really starting to darken nicely along the bottom edge of the pot.
I asked about patina and pots when i was in Japan and it was explained to me that the pot you use for a tree should appear a similar age to the bonsai. If you have a 100-year-old tree, then you should find a pot that also has the appearance of being 100 years old. An old tree with a brand new shiny pot just doesn’t look quite right.
If you look closely through old Japanese exhibition albums you will see that almost every pot in the show will have a rich patina. Sometimes this is so pronounced that pots that were once cream are dark grey and look truly ancient.
I think I will have to get these pots back out under the benches so they can continue ageing and perhaps one day they will be a nice shade of grey.
I have tried a few ways to artificially age pots but none have work very well to date. If anyone has any sneaky techniques to create patina please share them in the comments.
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July 10, 2012 at 8:35 PM
Happy Potter
Hi Joe,
If the Yamafusa is the one on the right then it shows both the ‘black’ patina as well as the typical ‘hard water’ calcium carbonate deposit. I’m sure the former is more valued than the latter. I’ve not yet tried any accelerated patination on pots but all the normal techniques which rely on promoting organic growth will not produce the age old dark grime colouration.
I think the most controllable and durable process would be to apply a very fine glaze material and then fire the pot to a low temperature – something like the process used in China Painting where the firing is at about 700C. This compares to a normal pot glaze and maturing firing temperature of about 1200 to 1300C so a refire at 700 would have no impact on the pot or original glaze other than to bond the new patina. I’ll file that away as an experiment to run.
Happy Potter
July 13, 2012 at 10:52 AM
bonsaijapan
Hi Happy Potter,
Interesting thoughts…. You are right, the right hand pot is the yamafusa pot and it shows both patina and slight water scale. I always wondered if water scale is more likely to collect dirt and griome and in turn become dark patina down the track…. I know a light coat of oil removes the white coloring until the oil evaporates so perhaps many oilings and some dirt and grime would eventually make for a good patina?
Having said that, I am pretty sure that the best way to get patina is via time, but having said that i would be interested in seeing the results of your experiments. If you dont mind i would love to be kept informed of any results you might have when when you find time and get around to running the tests.
Joe.