For generations, Okinawans potters have passed their expertise directly from master to student. There are no textbooks explaining how to make the beautiful pieces characteristic of Okinawa. Masters go by feel, colors, the shape of the flame. But with many potters incorporating modern techniques into their work as well as the loss of local clay sources, Okinawa risks losing the knowledge of traditional practices.
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Photo Credit: Laura Petersen/OIST.