Toshitaka Tani is the younger of two brothers who have been
central to the rediscovering and reworking of anagama firing in Shigaraki. He has aquired a fine collection of medieval Shigaraki pots, and these clearly inspire his work.
He fires a rare “double-barrelled” type of simple tunnel anagama kiln. Each firing last two weeks, and several of the pots in this exhibition have been fired more than three times – six weeks for the ash to accumulate and melt, giving unrivalled depth of colour over the characteristic Shigaraki clay “starred” with bubbles of melted feldspar pebbles.
