Experimenting with Materials and Techniques

Hikaru Dorodango

Dorodango is the Japanese art form wherein earth is compressed and moulded carefully into smooth polished balls.

It is only recently that the art form became known as Hikaru Dorodango, literally translating to Shiny dumpling. 

The process starts off by creating a core using dirt and added water. It is carefully hand moulded and then left to dry. Once it is dry, the orb is carefully dusted with layers of finely sifted particles of soil. This step is repeated using gradually finer dusts until the core had been covered in a crust that is millimetres thick. they are then covered with a thin layer of gloss using a cloth.

Despite the appearance, the ball remains to be very fragile.

Te different colours come from experimenting or using different types of soils.