Anagama: Building Wood-fire Kilns

Building Anagama

Bizen, Shigaraki and Tanba . . . . . . . . . . . . they are favourite Japanese pottery places I would like to go back again.

My first Anagama - Moby Dick

    I have visited various potteries and observed many different firings in Japan. I once came across a rather strange firing. The primitive looking kiln was called 'anagama'. 'Anagama' is a Japanese word used to designate a cave kiln, a type of kiln that has its origins in ancient times. I was captivated by the simple wood-firing and the image has remained in my heart. After living in London for a while, I found I was missing the flames, smoke and smell of burning wood so much that I decided to build my 'anagama' for myself.
    My kiln design is based on various mediæval kilns in Japan, and when I met Furutani Michio (1946 - 2000) in Shigaraki, an outstanding potter and a master kiln-builder, he kindly passed on to me his secret techniques of 'anagama' building.
    My first kiln "Moby Dick" was built in Aldbury, Tring, Hertfordshire in 1995.
    I have designed and built many wood-fired kilns since my first "Moby Dick", including 10 'anagama' and dozens of 'raku' kilns.
    Wood-firing can be done with a simple 'anagama' but it is very temperamental. And success only comes after many long days of tenacious work coupled with a good understanding of nature. My life project is to build 'anagama' with mediæval features because I admire the wisdom of ancient potters.

'MOBY DICK' My First Anagama Aldbury (1995)

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1: The foundation bricks 2: A split-bamboo Former 3: Tying thin planks ... 4: ... without using iron nails
5: It looks like a capsized boat 6: Bricklaying 7: Bamboo basket making 8: A curvy brick wall
9: The Last keystone 10: The Chimney base 11: A brick whale 12: The whale's back 13: My Victorian chimney
14: The insulation make-up 15: The kiln name was taken from Harman Melville's novel 'Moby Dick' 16: My Moby is packed with pots and ... 17: ... Rice, salt and wine are offered to the kiln God
18: The hungry kiln is ready to be fired

It's measured 30 ft long and 10 ft at its widest. I fired it usually for 8 - 10 days. It has no fire-box, no ash-pit, no proper bag-wall, no dampers, no side-stoking holes and not even spy-holes to enjoy peeking.

'Baby Moby' Mini Anagama Chalfont (2001)

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The mini 'anagama' was built for the Wood Festival at Chiltern Open Air Museum. Only second-hand house bricks were available and it was built in 18 hours without using a conventional former. The mini 'anagama' was then fired for three days throughout the show.

'Orca' Thai Kiln Dinton (Spring, 2006)

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1: A kiln with a view 2: The willow former 3: The kiln is complete and ... 4: ... waiting to be fired 5: The pile of split wood 6: A firing at night

The Kiln design was based on old cross-draft kilns from Sawankhalok & Sukhothai, Thailand.

'Moby Junior' Medium Size Anagama Cheddington (Summer, 2006)

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1: Digging the kiln floor 2: A willow former 3: Kiln visitors 4: Bricklaying 5: Another night of firing

This 'anagama' was built in a beautiful private garden in summer. Pots were made and fired for my solo exhibition which was held at the 'Long Room Gallery' (Tring) in Autumn 2006.

'MOBY' 2007 Berkhamsted (2007)

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1: foundation & hazel former 2: secondhand bricks 3: bird's eye view 4: front
5: white whale 6: close-up
7: kiln shed 8: in the wood 9: almost complete 10: half-buried anagama

This Anagama 'Moby' had more mediæval features. It had no fire-box, no ash-pit, no bag-wall, no dampers and no side-stoking holes. Moreover the kiln is half-buried in the hillside. I no longer equipped with pyrometers and cones for my firings.

Raku Kilns Aldbury & Dinton

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1: A Raku-gama in the woods 2: The kiln door 3: A Raku-gama on the hill

An instant 'raku' kiln can be built very quickly and should work fine. I once built one in half an hour and fired it straight away. Yet, I prefer designing wood-fired 'raku' that can be fired slowly and many times. Maybe it's because I enjoy modifying and improving them after each firing.