The Anagama and Noborigama Kilns
Earth. Fire. Beauty. Harmony. Wisdom. These merge in the skilled hands of
master ceramist Yukio Yamamoto, who has brought the time-honored tradition
of tozan pottery to Northern Arizona University. Speaking in the language
of ancient art, Dr. Yamamoto has inspired countless students and artists with
a philosophy of fine art and inner peace, which is empitomized in the tozan
process.
Tozan means "east mountain." It refers to the region in Japan where the
original pottery kilns were built. The noborigama or "climbing kiln"
consisted of many chambers up to fifty feet long; the anagama or cellar kiln
was one continuous chamber. Both followed the rise of the land. Like
insatiable dragons, the ovens were fed enormous quantities of wood. The ashes
from the wood created unusually beautiful colors and glazes on the clay.
After a week or more of spewing smoke and flame, each dragon cooled and
brought forth incredible ceramic pieces that were given as gifts by the
ruling shogun. The tradition persisted until the mid-1800s, when mass
production came into favor. The ancient kilns were then abandoned; the
dragons were forgetten.
In 1984, Dr Yamamoto came to NAU, The Mountain Campus, to help construct the
only tozan kilns in the Western Hemisphere. His dream was to create a dialogue
between Japanese and Western artists to promote understanding and cultural
exchange. With the help of students and local residents, Dr. Yamamoto built
two kilns in 1985 - the smaller anagama and the large noborigama. Since then,
many firings have taken place and produced thousands of beautiful pieces of
ceramic artwork, including outstanding pieces by Dr. Yamamoto. The unique
kilns have attracted ceramists from around the world and have provided
students and faculty at NAU an opportunity to work and study with leaders
in the field of three-dimensional art. In fact, thirteen Soviet artists
converged at NAU in 1991 to take advantage of the kiln.
The magnetism of the noborigama and anagama has been evident during symposiums,
conferences, and classes offered in the past decade. The World Clay Stomp of
1993 was held at NAU because of the kilns. The event further enhanced the
reputation of the kilns, while promoting art, music, and world peace.
To keep Yukio Yamamoto's dream alive and to preserve cultural exchange, the
Northern Arizona Univeristy Tozan Kiln Endowment Fund has been established.
The funds will be used to stabilize and maintain the kilns and provide an
opportunity for students and artists to create tozan pottery while taking the
journey within.
As the endowment grows, the stabilization phase will be followed by
construction of an authentic Japanese house and teahouse to showcase the
art. The house will also serve as a visitors' center for students, artists,
and the public.
Northern Arizona University needs your support to bring Yukio Yamamoto's
vision of cultural and artistic exchange to fruition. Several generous
donations have provided the funds to initiate the endowment. With your help,
the goal of $250,000 to complete Phase I is within reach. Please consider a
gift to the NAU Tozan Kiln Endowment. Your gift will support international
beauty, harmony, and wisdom.
