Gyokudo Kamamoto with a wide variety of styles that bring mumyoi clay to life
At Gyokudo Kamamoto, various forms of Mumyoi-yaki pottery are created ranging from the original Mumyoi-yaki which has brought the fine red clay to life since ancient times to sophisticated works which you can enjoy for the changes in color due to the glaze. The unique Mumyoi-yaki of Sado is created from the red mumyoi clay with iron oxide which was taken out of the island’s gold mines, and the clay is known for its extremely fine particles. For that reason, there is a high amount of shrinkage during firing so that the completed pottery becomes extremely hard. The gloss comes out on the surface of the long-lived pottery and its feel which improves over time is another one of its charms.
Learning of the attractiveness of Mumyoi-yaki through pottery workshops
You can participate in pottery workshops using mumyoi clay at Gyokudo Kamamoto. There are 2 kinds of courses to choose from: the pottery wheel course and the hand sculpting course. In the pottery wheel course, you create your own work from the clay with an electric pottery wheel. You can choose to make a variety of cups, a rice bowl or anything that strikes your fancy. In the hand sculpting course, you are free to sculpt letters, words and pictures with a sculpting knife into pre-formed clay. Beginners don’t have to worry since for both courses there are staff to guide them. The courses range from 15 to 30 minutes in length. Later, the completed works will be sent to your home after the firing phase which takes a month. Early reservations are recommended especially on long weekends and peak season when there is a rush to apply for the workshops.
Display and sales of works ranging from everyday items to art objects
The interior of the facility is made up of a gallery and a shop. There you can admire the wide variety of Mumyoi-yaki and even purchase items such as simple everyday products, beautiful and colorful works using glaze incorporating rocks and wood ash, and objects with that air of roughness after firing which appear to reflect actual flames.