Nao Tokutake
For large bonsai pottery, flatness and level rim is very important so he dries them upside down with the lip on the board.
In the winter, drying to bone-dry may take 3 weeks. A large and thick piece up to 4 weeks. During the summer, a standard pot may dry in 1 week. If moisture is in the clay, it steams out in the kiln and can result in explosions.
The change of size in the kiln and under the weight of a large pot, resting on small feet drives a lot of stress at those points. May initiate a crack or cause the whole pot to break.
Uses a slab roller and plaster molds to press into. Uses lots of wood shape and smoothing tools to make them perfect.