Kneading the Clay, Part IV
Chrysanthemum or Spiral Kneading
Spiral kneading is very well known abroad; it was firstly introduced in England by Leach, an Ogata Kenzan’s disciple, and from this country it spread to others.
For the total expulsing of air bubbles, this is the most commended way of kneading.
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to explain in words, in fact, in spite of its popularity I could not find a complete and satisfactory printed description of the method nor in Japanese, less in English.
I am not better than other authors so I shall limit myself to show some photographs made during my stay at the Shigaraki Ceramics Training Institute. They show the beautiful kneading of Prof. Takahata Hiroaki, my teacher.
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Roughly explained it consists in turning the clay clockwise, after every kneading movement, so only the “head” of the clay is actually kneaded, the other parts kept waiting for their turn after a full turn.
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Again, soft clay is a must. The kneader should stand always with one foot near the (60 cm height) table and the other backwards, not perpendicular to the table but in a diagonal fashion so the body discharges its weight fully on the clay. As for rough kneading the movement should be rhythmic; the body supported alternatively by the tips and the heels of the feet when the body bends forward and backward. No matter if it is at the beginning when the clay has no defined shape, or after the chrysanthemum petals are formed, the kneading movement is exactly the same.
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I have encircled with red the area taken by the left hand and with green the right hand area. The pushing, more than with the heel of the hand is with the right upper part of the palm for the left hand and left upper part of the palm for the right one. Both thumbs are placed parallel, but the left thumb should take more than the central or protruding part. Care should be taken than de central inferior area is not concave.
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To turn the clay, it is made to stand up, as in the photograph below,
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and then turned 15˚ always clockwise. The pushing is directed down following the extreme left and further border of the clay, so the head bends toward the left, and then pushed again forward with both palms of the hands. Repeat and repeat one hundred times before beginning the “finishing kneading”.
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