Kumao Ohta-san

Estelle and I were taken to visit Ohta-san's workshop in 1978 and experienced our first taste of wood firing by being allowed to stoke his large noborigama a few times. We stayed a few days in Koishibara and were able to experience some of his workshop practices as well. These photos I took of Ohta-san making teapots and putting on vine handles. The vines were from wild wisteria which grows in the near-by forests. Sadly, Ohta-san has since died but the workshop is now run by his son. A wonderful DVD called "Potters at Work" by Marty Gross about Koishibara and Onda is available from www.martygrossfilms.com