search  current discussion  categories  glazes - traditional iron glazes 

copper in glazes : was foodsafe oribe

updated wed 14 apr 04

 

Lee Love on wed 14 apr 04


I changed this topic from oribe. I haven't seen any examples of oribe
offered for examination yet.

Ron Roy wrote:

>And if you want to use em on the inside make a glaze that will hold em -
>simple enough - a rational approach!
>
>
Yes, but the other factor, is what food you use with them.

I spent some time with visiting potters from New Mexico yesterday. We
had Kama Meishi (main course is in a little pot the shape of an
oldfashioned iron rice cooker with meat and veggies on top) at the
restaurant associated with the gallery that represents me. They
commented on how crazing, pitting and crawling seems to be acceptable in
Japan. The one potter said that the crazing in the yunomi we were
using would not be acceptable in America.

I explained that in Japan, the aesthetic is not hobbled by
industrial criteria for judging the successfulness of a glaze. Many
of these industrial flaws are purposely used, as decoration in the
work. I pointed out that the crazing in the teabowl is not a
sanitary problem because green tea is slightly antiseptic. Actually,
at the monastery during formal oryoki meals, you wash your bowls at
your mediation space, with green tea, and you drink the dishwater. You
can read more about oyioki here:
http://www.terebess.hu/zen/szoto/oryoki.html You will see that monk's
bowls are lacquer and probably not "food safe" according to industrial
standards. ;-)

When we went into the gallery, I pointed out the lead enamels on
Shoji Hamada's work and on Tatsuzo Shimaoka's work. Pointing to an
osara, I said, "This would freak people out back home, but here in
Japan, they know how to use it. They will not put food on this osara
that might interact with the enamels, not so much for health reasons,
but because when a little 8 inch dish costs $600.00, you are not going
to use it in a way that will harm it."

>I had a look at the Nuka green glaze on your plate - beautiful glaze - but
>it's going to leach copper into food on that plate - just a mater of time
>and temperature.
>
>
You have never seen these platters in use have you Ron?
So you wouldn't know. The function the pot serves, is a critiera
that should be considered..

Temperature, time and of course, acidity of the food used in
the bowl. If it takes 200 years at 212F*, it isn't going to be a
problem, is it?

People who are willing to share their glazes freely are
fair game for criticism.

It is an interesting tactic not to allow people to share
one's glazes. It keeps them from being examine in the same light.

--

Lee In Mashiko http://mashiko.org