Professional artisans pour pure vegetable oil into earthenware with a cover. It has a wick made from rush in it then put on fire. They collect the dark soot that forms on the inside of the seat. They have to tum a round the earthenware every 20 minutes not to unbalance the dark soot. The quality of sumi is depending on condition of fire and grade of oil. So this process is very sensitive and one of the most important parts.

In order to make the other important ingredient, artisans put fine gelatin from cowhide and gradually dissolve it in 70℃ of hot water in copper pot called Tampo which is 30cm in depth.

Then, they carefully mix main ingredients, dark soot and gelatin, in a proportion of 100 to 60. As it starts to shine black, add some scents. Kneading is the most important process to determine the grade.

Artisans put a well-kneaded sumi into a mold made from pear trees, on which designs or characters are engraved. 25g of sumi is out into a wooden mold to make 15g of block of sumi. This is because it shrinks when it gets dry.

The sumi taken out from wooden mold is put into moist ashes on the first day. After second day, artisans gradually replace ashes to less moist ones day by dayto make sumi dehydrate. This process takes about a week for a small piece and about 30 to 40 days for a big piece.

After dehydration process in ash, about 70% of moisture is taken away from sumi. Then sumi is hanged and dried in-house with straw. This process usually takes from a month to six months.

After finishing the natural drying, artisan washes ash or dust carefully. And then, a glazed layer is formed by coating the surface of a body of the sumi ware with a glaze, and firing. He uses clamshell to polish on surface to make it shine.

Polished sumi needs for a little more time to get rid of moisture from the washing and be dry. When drying is finish they paint the surface with gold powder, silver powder and pigment. The unique molded pattern of the sumi appears brightly and sharply with the process.