Anagama wood firing in October 2021
Jari Vesterinen and Aba Luostarinen set up a Glass and Ceramics Center Kuu to Mallusjoki 6 years ago. The center is known for its anagama ceramic wood kiln both in Finland and internationally. Firings are held three times a year: in May, September and October. Thu 21.10 – Sun 24.10.2021 Anagama was fired 15th time.
Anagama is an Asian primitive wood-firing tunnel kiln. One firing takes about 3-4 days and about 10 cubic meters of firewood is used during the process. The kiln is filled with ceramic works by many artists. In firing in October was attended 30 ceramicists, including 2 residency artists from Latvia and Denmark. The previous firing in September had a total of about 400 different artworks.
Wood firing creates a unique imprint that cannot be imitated in other ceramic firing methods. Wood ash does its magic.
Fire is maintained around the clock in groups of 3-5 people. The oven has one main door and 4 side doors. Wood is constantly fed into the hatches and an attempt is made to raise and maintain a constant temperature inside the anagama. A peak temperature of about 1300 degrees C is reached on the last day of firing.
Different types of wood are used in the firing, each with its own role. At first, twigs are fired and the temperature of the anagama is slowly raised. Conifers ignite suddenly and burn quickly, they also raise the temperature of the kiln quickly. Ash is formed faster than, for example, birch, which burns for a long time and evenly, forming clumps. In connection with incineration, burning ash and coal coals are regularly flushed with a cast iron shovel. The process is called reduction. The ash rises into the air and travels with the fire along the furnace tunnel from the burning head to the surface of the objects and then, guided by a good draft, is led out through a huge barrel as a veiled velvety black plow. The ash melts on the surface of objects and forms layers of glass and unique rough surfaces. Apple ash is the most prized of its kind.
At the end of three days of hard work on Sunday after 6pm, the main hatch was filled with the last logging. The pipe dampers, oven doors and air vents were then closed and masonry with a newspaper-clay mixture.
Anagama was cooling until next Saturday, when all the participants gathered to open the furnace and marvel at the results of the firing.
I will participate in the next anagama firing in October 2022.
