The character for kiln originated in ancient China, and is said to refer to the act of putting a sheep in a hole and roasting it by adding fire from below, which was the origin of the heating furnace.
It was not until the middle of the Meiji period (1868-1912) that this character came into general use in Japan, and since then it has been universally used for kilns and pottery kilns. In addition, the characters for “hearth” and “kettle” are also used. In Korea, the character for kettle is used.
There are many types of kilns according to their purpose of use, function in work, and heat source. There are many different types of kilns, depending on their purpose of use, function in operation, and heat source. In terms of firing operations, there are discontinuous kilns (single kilns), semi-continuous kilns, continuous kilns, etc. The most common of these are discontinuous kilns, semi-continuous kilns, and continuous kilns. The most common types of discontinuous kilns are the so-called “single kilns,” which are square kilns, circular kilns, shuttle kilns, track kilns, bell kilns, box-type electric kilns, tub-type electric kilns, and recently also electric kilns called hat-top kilns. Semi-continuous kilns include climbing kilns and teppo kilns. Continuous kilns include ring kilns and daisy-chain tunnel kilns, and more recently, hobar kilns, roller house kilns, and conveyor tunnel kilns have emerged. In terms of shape, they are divided into square kilns, circular kilns, elliptical kilns, and tunnel kilns; in terms of heat source, they are divided into five categories: wood-fired kilns, coal kilns, gas kilns, heavy oil kilns, and electric kilns. In the case of firing ceramics, most of the kilns are inverted kilns, which are most effective in averaging the temperature distribution inside the kiln as well as in terms of fuel consumption. The muffle kiln used in the past to fire sanitary ware is also an inverted-burning kiln, and the so-called nishiki (brocade) kiln used for overglaze painting is also a muffle kiln, but it is a direct-burning kiln.
The Kofun period (710-794) is the earliest period in which kilns were used in Japan (see the section on “Sue ware”). From the Heian to Kamakura periods, ash-glazed pottery such as mountain tea bowls and pots were fired, but the kilns did not change much. Later, in the Muromachi Period, Seto became a single-chamber, half-ground climbing kiln (Seto Grand Kiln) that fired Kosedo, Tenmoku, and yellow-glazed pottery, which was introduced to Mino and gave rise to Shino and Kizeto. In the late Momoyama period (1573-1600), a climbing kiln with a gentle slope was introduced from Karatsu to Kusiri village in Mino (Kusiri, Izumi-cho, Toki-shi, Gifu prefecture), where various types of Oribe ware were fired. This continuous climbing kiln was later changed to a vertical style with a strong slope, which is characteristic of old kilns in this region. These kilns are called “small kilns” (also called “old kilns”) and are contrasted with the large kilns of Seto. These small kilns later diverged, giving rise to various types of structures depending on the period and style. When they were introduced to Shigaraki, Kyoto, they were of the gentle slope (about three-tenths of a kiln) and horseshoe shape, and remained as Kyoto kilns with smaller firing chambers than the small and round kilns. The early version of this kiln was introduced into Soma ware, then further into Satsuma ware, and from Soma ware spread to Kasama and Mashiko ware. This kiln was designed and built for regions that were not blessed with highly refractory clay, and the firing chamber is particularly small, with a height of less than one meter to the ceiling and a slope of five-tenths of a meter. In the Karatsu region, tunnel kilns and split bamboo kilns of the old style were used in Kishitake before the construction of the continuous climbing kiln. Also in the Arita region, many tunnel kilns were built before porcelain became popular. However, as porcelain began to flourish, the number of continuous kilns in Karatsu gradually increased, and these gradually developed into round kilns. This kiln is so named because the firing chamber is structurally dome-shaped. The round kiln, with its gentle slope (about three-tenths of an inch), side slopes, and balance stack style, spread to various regions with the spread of Arita porcelain to other regions, including Kiyomizu-yaki, Seto, Mino, and Kutani. In Seto, the round kiln was used for firing porcelain, utilizing a very large saggars and shelves in the firing chamber. The small kilns remained unchanged, with their vertical slopes and generally smaller firing chambers and fewer chambers. In the Taisho Era (1912-1926), the kiln was completed as Japan’s own inverted-burning coal kiln, and it spread to various regions. In the Taisho era (1912-1926), the inverted-burning charcoal kiln, which was unique to Japan, was perfected and spread to various regions. Recently, liquefied gas and electricity have been used as heat sources, and advances in furnace materials have added to this trend, resulting in small cart-type shuttle kilns, truck kilns, conveyor-type roller house kilns, and other types of kilns that are more fuel-efficient, average temperature distribution, and improve workability, and have continued to this day.
Kilns in China] In the northern part of China, single-chamber kilns of the western region type were introduced early on, and are commonly called bun kilns.
In the south, tunnel kilns were developed, and regular continuous climbing kilns were also used. The Jingdezhen kiln is a kind of special single-chamber flat kiln, similar to the old German Kassel kiln. In the north, coal is often used as fuel for oxidizing firing, resulting in ceramics, while in the south, wood is used as fuel for reducing firing, resulting in porcelain. For prehistoric Chinese kilns, see “colored pottery” and “black pottery. Dokho [kilns in Joseon] There are three styles of kilns: tile kilns, potteries, and saggar kilns, but they are said to be almost equal to tile kilns, pottery kilns, and porcelain kilns. Tile kilns are small kilns, while potteries are tunnel kilns. The kiln is a tunnel kiln with an advanced split bamboo kiln or a climbing kiln with a round kiln. Porcelain kilns in the Buksun region are of the split bamboo type, while those in the Namsun region are of the round kiln type. The round kiln style in Namsun was introduced to Japan and became the Dangjin style climbing kiln, and was divided into various types of climbing kilns in each pottery production area in Japan. (Nihon Kogyo Shishi, Essence of Ceramic Civilization, Study of Ceramic Crafts, Gashu, Shina Toki Genryu Zukou, Chosun Toki Meikou, Kitamura Yaichiro Kogyo Zenshu, etc.)
