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Tenmoku Leaf Bowl Question


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I have been working on some testing on the Tenmoku Leaf bowl like the one pictured.  I have tried several ways to accomplish this and the best tests came out when I placed a green leave into a freshly dipped and still wet bowl.  I would glaze the stoneware bowl with my tenmoku and immediately place a green leaf in the still wet glaze.  I tried other ways like brushing the leaf in on top of dried glaze and even dipping the leaf in the glaze.  There were other ways I tried it also.

 

The best way was the way I described with pushing the green leaf into wet glaze.  However I biggest problem is the leaf I have been using.  Does anyone know the preferred leaf for this?  I assume a broad thick leaf, but wondered if anyone here knows which is best?  This being a Japanese or Korean technique I assume John may know.

tenmoku.jpg

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When doing your testing, make sure the leaves have the same age, moisture contest, and collection location.  The amount of soluble fluxes ,Na+ and K+, are dependent upon the freshness of the leave, location of the tree, and the season in which the leaves are picked. This would be especially of import if no white glaze were used on the leaf, as mentioned above. I think the white glaze on the leaf would be easiest.

 

 If you were to try without the white glaze,  it would be interesting just to soak the leaf in a KCL, potasium cloride solution, before placing it on the glaze to maximize your fluxing effect of the leaf.

 

It is a beautiful effect. One that would be worth perfecting.

 

Jed

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Guest JBaymore

John Britt just published his explorations about this in one of the mags...... PMI I think.

 

The technique, done in the traditional manner,.... is a pretty highly guarded secret.  I have theories... but no knowledge.  I don;t think John Britt's info is the way it is traditionally done... but he is getting some reasonable results.

 

best,

 

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

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Can also use a newspaper cut out coated with the white glaze and applied to the pot. If the cut out has vein slits yo can apply more white thro' the slits after the cut out has been applied. If you don't press the cut out smooth on application you get that lovely undefined image.

I don't think broad and stiff leaf is the way to go if going on with the real thing.

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I can try the white glaze, but that seems odd to me, but I will test anything.  I did not share that I am getting OK results with the Maple leave, but it does not leave a large enough impression.  I leaves about a quarter size impression and wanted to know if a different leaf would make a bigger impression.  the size of the leave does not matter as I covered one bowl with so many leaves they were doubled up and hanging over the sides and still in the end it was a few quarter sized impressions like the one above just smaller.


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When using fresh leaves there is always a problem as they dry ... they either shrink or lift off the surface or you have to push them too hard etc.

 

One way to avoid this problem is to soak the green leaves in a bleach/water mixture. This dissolves the green of the leaf leaving only the skeleton and veins. They are much more pliable and can be easily soaked in other colorants and glazes. The pattern stays as delicate as the one on the pot you like.

 

Each type of leaf demands a different time in solution ... thin, soft leaves dissolve much faster than thicker, tougher ones ... so just stay near the mix and get ready to rinse them off for use. You can keep them on a damp towel until ready to use. The one in the image looks like it ripped a bit, but even that helps the pattern.

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Guest JBaymore

I was wrong on the John Britt article I emntioned above.... it was in Ceramics Technical magazine, not PMI.

 

best,

 

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

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I did some surfing and found an article on Konoha-Tenmoku, the technique of leaf bowls.

 

http://www.squest.co.jp/satomi/satomi2e.htm

 

The master potter, Katsuhisa Yosuda, refined his leaf bowl technique between 1979-90.

 

If someone wants to call him and ask for his recipe and tricks of his bowls, I bet would gladly give up his secrets........Right?.........:P.

 

We then would all know how to do this technique.....lol

 

Jed

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  • 1 month later...

I gave this a try with fresh young birch leaves (very thin), layered onto fresh tenmoku glaze.  However, the areas with the leaves turned out as completely naked clay after the firing!

Worked for me, sort of, it  wasn't Tenmoku though, and it left an ashy residue fired onto the shelf. Sycamore leaf with a white glaze brushed on both sides and just laid on, (needs more testing for me).

 

 

leaf_glaze_zps184cce98.jpg

 

Kiln_shelf_leaf_glaze_zpsa0f4d44f.jpg

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try a long tray with a row of dancing long dress ladies across it.  cut the ladies hand to hand and foot to foot the way you fold paper and cut out sailors in a row.  sponge or brush or spray a background color, decorate each lady's dress differently and spray the final clear over it all.

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  • 1 month later...

John Britt's new book on mid range glazes has a way to do this (p.90) abriviated directions.....bisque ware, as second coat is just about dry place leaf, dry, re-bisque, when cool rub mixture 50/50 of EPK and titanium dioxide, rinse, glaze Fire.

 

A ton of info in this book, I plan on testing a number of the glazes presented, this looks like one of thos books that everyone will eventually have......well worth the money.

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