When I first started researching pots, 3 or 4 years ago, before I even had a collection, I happened upon a website showing the process Kamiya Ryuen used to make his pots. I believe the website was “Ryuen.com” although I don’t really remember, as the next time I went back to the site, a week or two later, it was gone. Turns out Ryuen passed away in that time, and the site was removed. I thought all that info was lost to me, until last week, when Joe Morgan-Payler, who writes the excellent Australian “Nichigo” blog and “Bonsai in Japan” photo blog, both of which youll find on my links page, emailed me these photos showing Ryuen’s process of single block carving. This makes for a much more sound pot, more frost resistance, and more resistance to breaking and chipping. Enjoy these photos of what goes into making a masterpiece of unglazed pottery! If you’re interested, I have a few Ryuens for sale on the “For Sale” page. Many thanks to Joe for these awesome photos!