いよいよ巨大なヤットコの登場です。原料が入ったカップをゴウゴウと燃える窯のなかへ！

With a pair of pincers, huge, we insert the cup full of glass seeds into the firing kiln.

窯の奥にカップが見えています。

Can you see the cup deep in the kiln?

ここでこの窯の特徴を紹介します。

Now, why not explore a bit about this *special* kind of kiln and its characteristics.

煙突がぐーんと伸びていて、カマクラの頂上に繋がっているのです！山の頂から煙が出る、名付けて「支笏火山カマクラ」なのでした。

This kiln, as you can see in the photo, actually has a long chimney grown directly into the top of the snow dome we’d built. We named this little embodiment of miracle “The Snow Dome of  Volcano Shikotsu”. How nice? 

てっぺんの煙突。

Don you want to look inside? Here’s the chimney on top!

原料が溶けるのを待つ間、煙突を支えていた木の枝が焦げてしまったので、それを画材に落書きが始まりました。

This chimney actually burnt a part of its own structure, a branch of a tree, and so participants had to doodle with the sticks fully carbonated.

木炭デッサンの時間です。

Now it’s time for some “charcoal drawings”.

15時ころには窯の温度が900度を超えました。

By the time the clock hit 3 pm, inside of the kiln was reaching beyond 900℃ of heat.

ワークショップが終わる16時、取り出した原料はまだ硬かったのですが、ガラス質のものが少し採れました。

As the workshop had to be finalized at 4 pm, we discovered tiny amount of glass-ish structure in the cup, thought mostly it was still too firm to be officially called glass.

その後、残った参加者と火を焚き続け、18時ころに取り出した原料はどろどろに溶けていました。ここまでくるのに26時間、炭を30kg使用しました。

Past 4 pm, some participants, although, were generous enough to stay with us burning for higher temperature. It took us 26 hours of time and 30 kg of charcoal…

親指大のガラスが採れました！砂の上でゆっくり冷やします。

to finally collect the legitimate glass! It was the size of a tip of thumb. We leave it on a box of sand for cooling.

水で洗うと、色もはっきり見えました！

After several times of washes with water, it’s amazing how definitely it presents its color.

果たしてこの窯で火山灰をガラスにできるのか、正直、難しい試みだったと思います。深澤さんはもちろんのこと、上杉さん、上ノさんら窯スペシャリストが「子どもたちには良い体験にしてあげたいね」と意気込んでくれていました。前日から泊まり込んでいただき、感謝感謝です。

Throwing back, I would not say it was anything like a plan but it was a challenge to turn the ashes into glass, with the kiln that’s completely handmade. It’s all thanks to our kiln specialists, Uesugi san and Ueno san, on top of the artist Fukasawa san, who were, throughout the workshop, very high-spirited to “deliver the memorable experience to kids”. Tenjinyama staff is beyond thankful for them and their enormous dedication for the program (including the all-nighter before the day 3).

3/2現在、こちらのガラス片を天神山アートスタジオで展示しようと企画中です。

詳しくはお知らせをお待ちください！

As of March 2nd, 2022, Tenjinyama Art Studio is working on the plan for an exhibition of the pieces glass in the last photo. Be patient to the official notice!