How to Make a Shiny Dorodango Mud Ball

The art of dorodango -- making highly polished, very shiny handmade spheres out of nothing but mud -- is sweeping Japan, and beginning to attract attention in the US. Doro-dango is a Japanese craft, and is the simplest form of pottery imaginable, using only mud as an ingredient, and one's hands as a shaping tool.

A finished dorodango looks like an oversized earthy marble, and it's hard to believe it's nothing more than mud. It can be finished to a high shine that looks like a sophisticated pottery glaze.

Dorodango is more than just a craft. In true Japanese fashion, it is a means of focusing and integrating mind, body and spirit, incorporating elements of Zen and resembling spiritual exercises like yoga and meditation.

Doro-dango has captivated both adults and schoolchildren, and now you can learn about it too, along with the 'How to' technique for making your first shiny mud ball.

Instructions

1




Read about the Japanese craft of dorodango (sometimes known as doro-dango, hikaru dorodango, or 'shining dorodango') and learn about its similarities (and differences) to pottery and working with clay.

Admire the images of these amazing balls of mud. Depending on your choice of starting materials (different muds from different sources), and your dorodango technique, it's possible to produce a wide vareity of colors and textures in your finished mud ball.

The Resources section has links to more information.

2




Find a good source of mud, or make your own with ordinary dirt and water. Unlike traditional pottery, with clay as a primary medium, dorodango uses mud as its base.

Get a good sized glob of mud in your hand, squeeze out the water, and form it into a sphere.

3




Add some dry dirt to the outside of the ball, and continue shaping it into a sphere.

4




Allow the sphere some time to dry somewhat, and then pack it solidly with your hands, while rubbing the surface to raise a gloss.

5




Pat your hands on the ground to pick up powdery dirt, and continue patting and rubbing your sphere. Continue doing this for two hours (yep...I said two hours).

This is the essence of the art and craft of dorodango. You'll need persistence and patience to make a finished product, along with practice to develop and refine your technique.

The finished craft makes it all worthwhile, though.

6




Put the ball in a plastic bag for 3-4 hours. Remove the sphere, and repeat step 5 (above). Replace the ball in a plastic bag for some time.

7

Remove the ball again. If it is dry, then take a cloth and polish it to a high shine.