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Making the basic ''dorodango'' is a traditional pastime for school children.
More recently, the process has been refined into the art of the ''hikaru'' ("shining") ''dorodango'' (), which has a glossy surface. Several different techniques can be used. Across all methods, a core of the ball is made of basic mud, which has been carefully shaped by hand to be as round as possible. This core is left to dry, and then methodically and carefully dusted with finely sifted soil to create a crust several millimeters thick around the core. This step may be repeated several times, with finer and finer grains of dirt in order to create a smooth and shiny surface. A cloth then may be used to gently polish the surface. The dorodango, once completed, may look like a polished stone sphere, but it is still very fragile. The process requires several hours and careful focus so as not to break the ball.
"Shiny Mud Balls: Kyoto Professor Taps into the Essence of Play"Illustrated step-by-step guide to making Hikaru Dorodango"Shiny Balls of Mud"
- ( William Gibson,
Bruce Gardner's dorodangointerview
Children's street culture Sculpture techniques Japanese games Japanese words and phrases
is a Japanese art
Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculpture, ink painting and calligraphy on silk and paper, ''ukiyo-e'' paintings and woodblock prints, ceramics, origami, and more recently manga and anime. It ...
form in which earth and water are combined and moulded, then carefully polished to create a delicate shiny sphere resembling a billiard ball.
Etymology
The phrase is derived from the Japanese words and .Technique
Making the basic ''dorodango'' is a traditional pastime for school children.
More recently, the process has been refined into the art of the ''hikaru'' ("shining") ''dorodango'' (), which has a glossy surface. Several different techniques can be used. Across all methods, a core of the ball is made of basic mud, which has been carefully shaped by hand to be as round as possible. This core is left to dry, and then methodically and carefully dusted with finely sifted soil to create a crust several millimeters thick around the core. This step may be repeated several times, with finer and finer grains of dirt in order to create a smooth and shiny surface. A cloth then may be used to gently polish the surface. The dorodango, once completed, may look like a polished stone sphere, but it is still very fragile. The process requires several hours and careful focus so as not to break the ball.
In popular culture
In Christopher Paolini's novel series '' The Inheritance Cycle'', protagonist Eragon witnesses the King of the Dwarves King Orik carrying out a Dwarvish tradition of making an ''erôthknurl.'' The process of making an ''erôthknurl'' is highly similar to the process of making dorodango. In theDiscovery Channel
Discovery Channel (known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery) is an American cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav. , Discovery Channe ...
series ''MythBusters
''MythBusters'' is a science entertainment television program, developed by Peter Rees and produced by Australia's Beyond Television Productions. The series premiered on the Discovery Channel on January 23, 2003. It was broadcast internatio ...
'' episode "End with a Bang" (Episode 113), which first aired on November 12, 2008, hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman investigated the truth behind everyday sayings. They used the ''dorodango'' technique to create dung spheres in order to bust the myth that one "can't polish a turd". Using a glossmeter, they measured gloss levels substantially higher than the value of 70 gloss units
A glossmeter (also gloss meter) is an instrument which is used to measure specular reflection gloss of a surface. Gloss is determined by projecting a beam of light at a fixed intensity and angle onto a surface and measuring the amount of reflect ...
, which is considered "high gloss". Savage's 106-gloss unit ''dorodango'' used an ostrich's feces, while Hyneman's 183-gloss unit specimen used a lion's feces. They therefore deemed the myth "busted".
In episode 14, " Footsteps", of the anime series '' Your Lie in April'', the character Tsubaki Sawabe polishes a ''dorodango'' to show to the protagonist, Kousei, in a flashback sequence. However, it falls apart sometime during the sequence before she can show Kousei, representing her feelings for Kousei in the present day.
In Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town, Popouri gives the main character a dorodango as a gift.
See also
*Mud pie
Making a mud pie is a children's activity or game that consists of creating a mixture of water and soil and playing or pretending to make food or a pie. Mud pies are not meant to be eaten, although they can be thrown in the face. A broader ...
References
External links
{{commonscat"Shiny Mud Balls: Kyoto Professor Taps into the Essence of Play"
- ( William Gibson,
TATE Magazine
''Tate Etc.'' is an arts magazine produced within Britain's Tate organisation of arts and museums. It has the largest circulation of any art magazine in the world. The magazine was edited by Simon Grant from its launch in 2004 until the Autumn 202 ...
)Bruce Gardner's dorodango
Children's street culture Sculpture techniques Japanese games Japanese words and phrases