Glaze Question On Purchased Item

[flr9003]

Hi. I apologize for such a 'newbie' post but both my mother and sister, both artists, are unable to answer my question. 

 

I purchased a ceramic sushi set for my 10 year old daughter as a gift, ordered online from an auction site. The ceramic pieces arrived intact with an intact clear outer glaze. The inner color glaze appears to have small spider-like cracks thoughout the pattern and is present in all the pieces of the set. It looks as if the central color layer fractured like a windshield everything else didn't (everything is smooth on the outside). I am not sure if this is part of the design and expected glazing process or if this is defective. Thanks for your input. I am attaching a pic of one dish. F

 

 

[Chris Campbell]

I would say that it is not defective, but made that way for artistic effect ... A crackle pattern which imitates crazing.

[Mark C.]

Looks like a death valley mud surface-very cool.

I'm sure its fine-enjoy the fresh tuna on it.

Mark

[Guest JBaymore]

Definite crazing..... and considerd a decorative element and is quite deliberate on a LOT of Japanese wares.

 

best,

 

...............john

[Denice]

Is the area where the sushi is placed also crackled? If it is I'm not sure it was meant to be functional ware.  Denice

[Guest JBaymore]

Of course that area is crazed.... it creates a beautiful backdrop for the food.  Perfectly functional....minimal risk.  Probably 70% of the ceramic wares used for food use in Japan are crazed at varying levels.  Japan's a country with some of the highest standards for food quality in the world.  You find crazed wares in resteraunt service too.  They are not dropping dead like flies over there........ in fact they have almost the longest life expectancies in the world  .

 

best,

 

................john

[flr9003]

Thanks all so much. I even get to tell the artist experts in my family. LOL. Happy Thanksgiving to all for taking a few minutes out of your day. Frank

[Biglou13]

Great issue.

 

The question is "is crazing food sanitary safe"

 

I m a trained chef and more recently aspiring potter. So this issue I have pondered much.

 

Depending on food safety rules and inspectors in your city, crazed ware will be deemed un safe in a sanitary sense.

 

But wait before you go throwing things out.

 

Like John says. The Japanese have been eating on similarly crazed wares for centuries.

 

And I have recently realized that 90% of my work is also crazed. And I ask, my self is sanitary un safe and why. If you take almost any crazed piece and rub a sharpie, India ink on it and wipe you'll see how porous, if you will the piece is. The ink will get in the cracks.

 

Here come gaijin..... Food safety restaurant inspectors..... "The crevices in this piece, is not food safe because you cannot properly sanitize inside the cracks". You don't see bamboo bowls any more because of this. There is SOME truth to this statement.

 

What the inspectors are judging on is based on commercial dish washing systems and situations. The same plate may have to be reutilized multiple,times in one nights service. And most cleaning process require a thorough drying for piece to be. Sanitary safe. Much of the decision of these gaijin. Inspectors have relied on this thought process. (Very very condensed version)

 

In reality a crazed piece properly washed and sanitized at home will not cause food borne, sanitary based illness, as centuries of Japanese dining have proven. A properly washed, sanitized, air dried, crazed piece of pottery should not cause food borne,sanitary food borne illness. Home ( and most eastern kitchens) will have less pathogens, and be cleaner than most western food service. The minimum professional requirement for sanitary safety in a professional environment is a three sink method for washing dishes. 1.soap 2. Rinse 3. Sanitary soak. Followed by air drying. Step three can be as easy as a very light bleach solution approx 1tsp per gal.

 

So yes my work is crazed. Yes it's safe. I tell my customers the same. Cup will patina with age crazing may become darker, which is character. If you clean pottery appropriately, they harbor no pathogens or cause food borne illness. However commercial use will need specific sanitary cleaning technique to maintain sanitary safety.

 

In a nutshell (Denice) yes it's safe, clean and air dry. I think its super cool that your daughter is getting such cool pottery as a gift. And crazing while some consider a glaze defect, is beautiful and desirable.

[Guest JBaymore]

Well stated biglou.

 

If folks are worried about the food safeness of crazing... check out the use of porous clay cookers of various types that are all the rage at the moment for gormet cooking. Also look at the current issue of Potery Making Illustrated and the micaceous clay beanpot article. Serious tea drinkers are looking for the porous qualities of things like Yixing and Tokoname teapots...and they never use any soap on them.

 

Another thing to look at in the "what is food safe" discussion........ what the use of various PLASTICS (containers, bottles, plastic bags and wraps, etc.) get into your food. I'll take porous and crazed clay issues and even some potential ceramic glaze leaching (other than lead and cadmium) over that crap.

 

Just about NOTHING is totally inert. So anything that you use to cook and serve food likely has the potential to affect it in some way. Pick your poison.

 

Another related issue here is that studies have recently been done that show that the heavy use of "sanitizing agents" is possibly not so good for us. If we are not exposed to low levels of bacteria and such in our environment, our immune systems do not develop well. We actually are at MORE risk from their use, rather than less.

 

(Separate non-re lated issue is the antibiotic resistant bacteria that use of some of these anti-bacterial agents is causing.)

 

best,

 

...............john

 

PS: (Side note....... learn about what is in FIMO and other moldable plastics ---I will NOT call it "clay"--- before letting your kids use it without serious protective measures!!!! Or yourself for that matter.)

[Matt Oz]

 They are not dropping dead like flies over there........ in fact they have almost the longest life expectancies in the world  .

 

best,

 

................john

 

Especially in the Village of the Watermills.

[Guest JBaymore]

 

 They are not dropping dead like flies over there........ in fact they have almost the longest life expectancies in the world  .

 

best,

 

................john

 

Especially in the Village of the Watermills.

 

 

So desu.

 

The earlier film in the series "Mount Fuji in Red" is so propehtic of the situation at Fukushima. Wise man.

 

best,

 

.................john