Endless Variations of Shino


Cleaning up and purging in preparation for 2024, I found this small cup that I had thrown more than a decade ago.  It was fired in my gas kiln using Malcom Davis' Carbontrap Shino glaze recipe.  


It is only about 3 inches in diameter and less than 2" high.  I'm sharing this because the Shino glaze gave me the orange peel look that I was hoping to achieve and is prized by some fans of Shino glazes.  

For you that are new to Shino glazes this example of only one type of Shino glazes.  In 2005, I traveled to the annual NCECA conference being held in Baltimore, MD.  As part of the conference,  Baltimore Clayworks was exhibiting Shino Review 2005.  The exhibit was curated by Malcom Davis.

In his curator's statement Mr. Davis explained that "Shino is not so much a particular formula as it is an appearance, offering a deep, warm, friendly and non pretentious appeals to our tactile and visual senses and visual senses.  What we see in a piece of shino pottery depends on our perception.  In that way it becomes much more personal to the owner.  In fact, for some of us it is a way of life."

The exhibit included works from 90 artists who shared their recipes for various Shino glazes.  One could purchase a card deck of these recipes.  I have done little beyond Malcom Davis' Carbontrap Shino, but I believe it is time a spend some time with these recipes and test a few for my own work.



 

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