“the mercy of invisible power”

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shoji-hamadaFrom Unknown Craftsman by Soetsu Yanagi

“If a kiln is small, I might be able to control it completely, that is to say, my own self can become a controller, a master of the kiln. But man’s self is but a small thing after all. When I work at the large kiln, the power of my own self becomes so feeble that it cannot control it adequately.  It means that for the large kiln, the power that is beyond me is necessary. Without the mercy of such invisible power I cannot get good pieces. One of the reasons why I wanted to have a large kiln is because I want to be a potter, if I may, who works more in grace than in his own power.”

— Shōji Hamada quote

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