Korean Onggi Potter, Lids

5th generation Korean Onggi master potter Kim Il-Mahn, demonstrates his technique for making traditional storage jar lids. Mr Kim and his four sons are some of the few remaining potters maintaining traditional techniques in creating their work, such as; using only kick-wheels, wood firing their pots, and mixing all of their clay from scratch.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Korea
• Korean
• pottery
• potter
• throwing
• anagama
• kiln
• woodfire
• firing
• Icheon
• South
• Onggi
• traditional
• amazing
• kimchi

[monkeybss]

Thanks!

I have another question: what is the strip he is holding to the rim? I thougt it was like the chamois we are using, but now I see it is a much tougher material.

It seema a good technique for making large platters, too.

[agfield2000]

Good question, it is actually a strip of belt, the type used for martial arts (since we're in Korea it is a Tae-kwan-do belt) it works great, holds plenty of water, I will say that the longer it has been used for pottery the better it gets, the end that gets used the most starts to taper and get thinner as it wares down.

Yes, I had the same thought about making large platters this way too, they also make these great basin type bowls using this technique too.

Thanks!

[monkeybss]

Another amazing one!I can't grasp how he takes the piece off the wheel! It seems all crumpled but when he puts it down it's o.k.

By the way, do you know what is the stuff he puts under the lid? Is it sand?

[agfield2000]

Thanks for the comment! Yeah, it looks like he destroys the piece when he picks it up but it is a flat enough piece to go back to shape when he sets it down. He is using powdered clay to keep the piece from sticking to the wheel, it's the same clay he uses to throw the piece.

[godzilar35]

im making a bonsai pot like this lol thanks for the idea

[ratmfan105]

i think this stuff is so amazing and awesome