Silvery gloss created by careful polishing
Silvery gloss is the greatest feature of Kyo-gawara, the tiles that cover the roofs of temples and shrines. Kyoto tiles are made from high-quality clay, polished with a metal spatula until they are shiny and fired in a kiln at a high temperature. Asada Kawara is the only factory which still produces Kyoto tiles by hand. Onigawara (ridge-end tiles bearing the face of a demon), an indispensable element of traditional buildings, are reproduced here for restoration purposes after a thorough research about their style, materials and production method.