Kyoto Ceramic Workshop Soryu Gama – Fly-planed Kiyomizu-ware

A fourth-generation pottery workshop breathes new life into Kiyomizu

Located just off the famously scenic Kiyomizu О̄-dо̄ri street in Kyoto, Soryu Gama pottery workshop has a long history. Here, four generations of potters have practiced a technique known as neri-komi seiji, or “kneaded blue porcelain,” wherein porcelain clay is infused directly with pigment to produce striking blue vessels. This is one of the techniques of Kiyomizu ware. The wife of the current owner – herself a 14th generation potter hailing from Koishiwara in Fukuoka – brought her family’s tobikanna fly-planing technique with her. Together, the couple have perfected a hybrid style found nowhere else.

Eye-catching color contrast produced by fly-plane texturing, which allows the pigmented glaze to permeate into the surface

This distinctiveness has been a big hit

Soryu Gama doesn’t limit its business to exhibitions and in-studio sales. Its work is also sold in select shop chains including BEAMS and URBAN RESEARCH, and has found popularity with young and old. Soryu Gama has also pioneered new forms of creative expression such as toki no shizuku or “drippings of time” ceramic jewelry, made from clay shavings produced by fly-planing. These have proven a media sensation.

Toki no shizuku jewelry, containing clay shavings

With new knowledge of history and technique, discover the hidden life of clay

Exclusive to this plan, watch an expert pottery throwing demonstration during your studio visit before getting hands-on for yourself.

A potter vigorously kneading clay

In the main experience you will sculpt by hand, but during the demonstration you can also enjoy the smoothness of the electric potter’s wheel.

The undeniable pleasure of watching clay take shape

Finally, enjoy a demonstration of expert fly-planing, in which the dried clay is textured and patterned with a special metal instrument while being spun on the potter’s wheel. Witness an exceedingly rare and precise skill in practice, and experience the joyful spectacle of incredible complexity synthesized into deceptive simplicity by the deftness of an expert hand, as permanence takes shape in a vanishing instant.

Tobikanna fly-planing

Giving dreams shape

Now experience hand-sculpting, taking your time to mold the vessel at your own pace. The potters will be standing by to provide any help you need with every step of the work.

The relaxing comfort of the earth’s soft touch

After shaping, choose your glaze. Glaze-fired samples are available to show true finished color.

Selecting from a variety of glazes

As glaze seeps into the fly-planed pattern, a beautiful pattern of color contrast emerges. Visualizing the finished product as you choose your glaze is part of the joy of creation. Fly-planing is a delicate focused process, so this step will be performed on your piece later. Feel the pleasure of collaboration in high-quality work, shaping your piece and having it decorated by expert artisans.

Take home one-of-a-kind pieces of kiyomizu-ware

After you’ve shaped them, your vessels will be put through a number of further steps, such as drying, fly-planing, unglazed firing, and finally glaze-firing, before being delivered to you. In this plan, use your one kilogram of clay to make as many vessels as you like (Only a single piece will be fly-planed).

The finished work of two people

Tableware made with love and tradition enriches the quality of meal time. Kneading clay in your bare hands, leaving the world and your own thoughts behind, briefly becoming one with your vessel as it takes shape: this is the soul-soothing bliss of the potter. And priceless is the attentive expert guidance from artisans with generations of tradition in their hands, usually too preoccupied with their own work for such things. Let the moist earth heal you as you craft it into unique works of art.