I have always made it a point to use only natural and safe materials when producing my work. There are no toxic materials in my clay, glazes or firing process. No Lead, No Barium, nothing toxic. Particularly considering that my studio is next to my children's bedroom!I am careful to reduce dust and use a dust mask wherever necessary (special thanks to Phil Rogers for sending me a Dust Mask from the UK that didn't bend my nose over like the Japanese ones do!), and I use eye and ear protection where appropriate.
I have therefore always known that my products were safe for the consumer. This has always been a primary concern for me.
However, in order to sell my work at Mitsukoshi Department store I had to have my work tested by a public authority to prove it was safe for use with food. This is now necessary for all ceramics imported into Japan, and will apparently become standard practice by law for local production as well in the near future.
So, I sent my work to the Tajimi Ceramic Institute for testing and received this certificate proving that my work is perfectly safe for use with food. You no longer have to take my word for it!
euan, that is so cool... from what i understand, you can get something similar done in the states at quite a cost but the problem is that there are no standards for testing this kind of thing and that they mostly try to get the piece to leach and then hold it to standards created for water purity. the document looks so official, maybe you should get it framed.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jim,
ReplyDeleteThe best part of this is it only cost 850yen!(+postage of course)Don't know whether they'll do it for overseas potters, but you'd have to get the documentation translated.
I was just in Tajimi for their annual matsuri! Great website you have here. My father-in-law is a potter in the States and sent me a link here. Great stuff. If we're ever headed up North we'll try to stop and see your work
ReplyDelete