[沖繩] 陽春三月。之二。陶藝村

March 28, 2007
Sunny Okinawa~

The YOMITAN vill is the next stop for us to have a short tour.
It is a pottery village full of artistic atmosphere.
We visit a workhouse of glass-blowing, which has a romantic
name as "Rainbow".

古堡之後，我們接著去拜訪一個充滿古風的小村莊。
首先參觀的是一個吹玻璃的工房。
它有個美麗的名字叫「虹」。
旁邊第二行的四個漢字，應該是工房主人的名字。



In this village, I met the guardian angels of lion features again.
People in Okinawa named the sculptures "Shisa" (シーサー).
They looked very much similar to our "Fong-Shi-Ye" that I met
long time ago in Tainan and the isolated island Kingmen.
We pronounced as "Fong-Shi-Ye", in the three Chinese character
they mean "Wind-Lion-General", i.e., a Lion General who guards
the village from strong wind".

Besides, "Shisa" and "Fong-Shi-Ye" had the same meanings
in Taiwan and Okinawa! They protect the island as well as the
seaside villages from strong wind, guard people against devils,
and also give blessings (魔除け、幸運招きなどの意味).

This "Shisa" I met in TOMITAN is very cool.
He wears glasses that makes his looking like a scholar.
In addition, he also is a glassblower!

在這裡，我又遇到跟風獅爺長得很像的獅子，當地人叫 Shisa。
跟我們的風獅爺一樣，具有守護神的象徵意義。
這一尊很酷唷！
戴著眼鏡看起來很有學問之外，它可是會吹玻璃的 Shisa 呢！



People in this village are all artistic~
The old person sits in front of the oven and the heated glass is
rotated continuously around the axle by his hands. With his
expertise at glassblowing, he forms the glass into a dish at the
best timing. How amazing!

老公公在火爐前，轉著手上那一坨熱融融的玻璃。
憑藉著經驗，在最適當的時候，展開「輕攏慢捻抹復挑」的手段，
只見一坨沒有形狀的玻璃，或盤或球或各式的容器，
就這樣從無到有，出現在眼前。




Walking along the road, the houses and scenery let me think
of "May-Nong" in Kaohsiung county (south part of Taiwan).
It seems that most of the people living here are clay profession.
Again, very similar to the town "Ing-Ge" in Taipei county~

Here comes another workhouse.
SEE! Shisa stand in front of the gate smile and saying hello to us!

往村裡面走。　
哇！屋舍跟鄉村的景緻讓人聯想起美濃～
而且村裡面大部分都從事製陶工藝，
跟我們熟悉的鶯歌好像喔！

這是其中一座陶藝工房的門牌。
看吧～又有風獅爺站在門口，跟過往的客人哈啦了。



Is it very difficult to understand the meaning in Chinese saying
"A huge number of things give a pretty sight"??

(I don't know how to translate/describe this saying >_<)

在這樣的畫面裡「數大便是美」不言而喻



Inside the workhouse, girls draw or paint for the clay
under sunlight. Cute Natalia goes into the house and
talking in body language happily.

另一家製陶工房。
只見女孩兒在裡面迎著天光，一筆一畫地為素陶胚著色上釉。
跟著爸爸媽媽一起來參加會議的五歲女娃娃 Natalia，
跑進去開心地跟人家比手畫腳，超可愛呢！



A huge number of Shisa in prototype.
Looks they are now undergoing the air-dry stage.
Not colored or harden by baking, yet the bravery
look is not a blur~

好大一群原型的風獅爺！
看起來正處於風乾的階段～
尚未上釉，也還沒經過高溫的焠煉，
不過英姿換發的模樣，已經稍見端倪啦。