Dear
All
My
mailing
list has about 1500 people on it, I am guessing a good
proportion of
them are pottery related, either potters, pot buyers, collectors
or
suppliers.
So
I am
hoping this email will touch you.
A kiln is
the foundation of a potters life. Not only does it produce wonderful
pots for
us at times, but it also provides the potter's livelihood and puts food
on the
table.
This
important historic pottery community of Mashiko
has not
only lost important artefacts of their heritage (the Hamada Museum has
lost 40%
of its collection), nearly
every kiln in the community is either down or severely
damaged during
the many earthquakes that have devastated this area.
The coming
months will prove difficult for these potters to provide for themselves
and
their families.
I can see the
devastation
throughout Japan, and
it’s still not over;
they are still getting earthquakes and the constant worry of the
nuclear power
station which is not far away.
People
in Japan will suffer from this for a long time and they really need
long term
support, physically and mentally.
My thoughts go
out to all who have been effected, but pottery is my main connection to
Japan
and these potters have welcomed me and shown tremendous hospitality and
generosity during my many visits to Japan, and here is where I would
like to
show my support .
Here at Kigbeare we are fund raising in a number of ways: donating a
percentage of
sales from the Gallery and Masterclass lecture, and
donating pots to various auctions.
But
it occurred to me if everyone on my mailing list was kind
enough
to donate even £5.00 we would raise £7,500, which may
just be
enough to
rebuild 1 kiln in Mashiko.
Koi Isaka from Gallery St Ives, Tokyo and
Ken Matsuzaki from Mashiko
will coordinate the money the other end, and they will make sure all
the money will go to the right people.
Very best wishes
Lisa Hammond
MASHIKO
EARTHQUAKE APPEAL
·
By phone – call with you credit or debit
card details on 01736 799703
·
By post – send a cheque to the Bernard
Leach (St Ives) Trust Ltd. (marking the back of the cheque ‘Mashiko
Appeal’.
Send to Mashiko Earthquake Appeal, The Leach Pottery, Higher Stennack,
St Ives,
Cornwall TR26 2HE
· By internet – visit the Leach Pottery website www.leachpottery.com
If
you have
time, please read Euan's Blog, which graphically describes a personal
view of
what has happened to him and his family. There are a number of blogs,
which
bring us up to date.