Shigaraki: Potters' Valley

From the front flap of this 428-page book: "For over seven centuries, farmer-potters of Shigaraki, a rural valley outside the ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto, have used the distinctive clays of the region to make a broad variety of storage jars and tea-ceremony wares that occupy a key place in the esteemed aesthetic of Japanese wood-fired stoneware. This classic and long out-of-print study by Louise Cort brings together all facets of the valley's fascinating political, economic, and artistic history to present a comprehensive portrait of these appealing wares and the potters who produced them. Throwing, glazing, firing, and kiln building are described in detail, while invaluable supplemental information includes commentaries on Shigaraki wares by potters from outside the valley; an account of early twentieth-century life in the valley by a woman who was both the daughter and wife of master potters; a thorough assessment of kiln-site investigations; and complete formulas for the distinctive Shigaraki glazes. Over 350 color and monochrome photographs, maps, complete appendixes, notes, bibliography, and an index make this an essential volume in the library of all connoisseurs of ceramics."