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What is shino?Shino (pronounced, shee-noh) refers to a family of glazes and style of ware originating in the Mino and Seto regions in the Momoyama era (1573-1614) of Japan. The origin of the name shino is uncertain. It may be a variation of shiro (Japanese for "white"), referring to the original white color of the glaze. Historically, Shino ware was glazed with a thick, milky white glaze, enhanced with oxide brushwork under or over the glaze. In the 1970's a glaze resembling those of ancient Shino was developed by students of Warren Mackenzie, and which led to the family of glazes now known as American Shino. Today, shinos take on a variety of guises. Some aspects of modern shinos include (in addition to the original milky white): flashing called "fire color" (flares of oranges, pinks and/or golds), beaded or "crawled" surfaces, and carbon trapping (spots or areas of black - carbon trapped in the glaze matrix). Iron-rich clays can be added to the glaze to produce brilliant orange colors. Some potters even add pigments to modify the color still further. |
Buckner Orange Carbon Trapping Shino
BBOS
^10
nepheline syenite 40
soda feldspar 13
spodumene 9
ball clay (OM4) 15
EPKaolin 8
Redart clay 3
soda ash 12
This glaze yields reds where thin, and off-white to bright orange where thick. It readily traps carbon, producing spots or areas of black. See notes on firing shinos below.
Buckner Carbon Trap Shino
BSCT
^10
nepheline syenite 42
soda feldspar 17
spodumene 17
ball clay 17
soda ash 7
Heartfelt ineptitude has its charms.
And so has heartless skill.
But, what we all want is passionate virtuosity.
BBOS
Buckner Shino
BBSH
^10
nepheline syenite 30
soda feldspar 26
spodumene 22
ball clay 11
kaolin 5
soda ash 6
Notes on applying and firing shino glazes.Shino glazes are high in both alumina and silica and therefore tend to be rather stiff in the fire.
That is, they do not flow when molten like most other glazes. Therefore,
the glaze application is less forgiving. The mode of application,
including drips and flaws, will be evident when the pot emerges
from the kiln. Generally, shinos are applied by pouring or dipping.
Because shino glazes generally contain a soluble component (usually sodium carbonate, "soda ash") , the fired look of the glaze can be influenced by such factors as drying time. Simple brushwork of wax resist over the freshly glazed pot will show up as subtle marks on the fired glaze. Finger painting on the surface of the freshly applied, wet glaze can leave lovely, getural marks in the fired glaze. Sgraffito ("scratching through) techniques can be effective and remain as such in the stiff glaze surface. The soluble components of the glaze leave a dark sheen in the clay surface left exposed in this technique. Shino glazes are extremely sensitive to atmospheric conditions in the kiln during firing. Consequently, wood or gas firings are necessary. Shinos fired in oxidation usually have a rather uninteresting appearence. Reduction in a gas kiln should commence early (generally by ^012) and maintained throughout the firing. Heavy (smoky) reduction at the early stages favors the appearance of carbon trapping. Some potters find an oxidizing soak at peak temperature enhances fire coloring of this glaze. I provide a two-hour oxidizing soak at the end of my shino firings. -BB |
