Raku Pottery was developed in Japan over 400 years
Seldom watertight, Raku is actually a very poor
According to the Zen Masters, its elusive, subtle, yet
Raku Pottery is earth derived...the firing process is
A low-fired, unglazed pot is first coated with a
The piece is put into an electric kiln to dry glaze and
The kiln is heated quickly up to 1800ºF. It is this first
At this point, the pot must endure a second shock as
Upon leaving the kiln, the glowing pot is placed
Here it sits until all the oxygen burns out of the
When the colors are deemed "just right", the can is
The vessel (often still over 1,000º F) may then be
When the piece is cool it is removed from the water
And inspected.
And so the cycle of earth, fire, air and water is
But when they survive they are spectacular.
All raku pieces will be fired in the spring and fall of each year.
Please email with your specifications and the artist
ago as the Ceremonial Tea Ware of the Zen Buddhist
Masters. It was preferred by the Masters because of
its humility, its tasteful unpretentiousness, its simple
naturalness, and its deliberate avoidance of luxury...
all very intrinsic to the Zen philosophy.
choice for a casserole or a flower vase; it is pottery
apart from utility or function. Raku must be
approached with a different criterion in mind, like a
painting or a symphony.
vigorous beauty is Raku's only worth. It is valued
because it is believed that the Spirit of the Maker is
embodied in the form and revealed at the foot, which
is traditionally left naked (unglazed). It is believed that
if we are alert to ourselves, in contemplating the Raku
form, we will recognize in it our own Spirit and Meaning.
unique and daring, and in the eyes of the Zen
Masters, the process truly reflects the most
fundamental rhythm of enlightened life.
paste-like glazing material.
warm the pot. The potter using steel tongs then
places the piece into a hot outdoor propane kiln.
tremendous heat shock which often causes a pot to
explode or to develop large "body cracks" in the clay
walls. If the vessel survives this shock, almost
immediate metamorphosis begins. Within just minutes
the entire vessel glows like red-hot coal, and the
"glaze-paste" melts into a sheet of liquid glass.
the potter uses tongs to remove the glowing mass
from the inferno. As the cool air outside the kiln hits
the glowing vessel, the severe temperature change
produces the cracks or irredescents in the glaze.
These features are highly prized as characteristic of
traditional Raku Pottery -- they are the "proof-marks"
of the earthenware's having survived this dramatic
trial by fire.
directly into an airtight container ("reduction
chamber") filled with leaves, pine needles, saw dust
or the like, which turns the naked clay foot black and
highlights the valuable cracks in the glaze or
brightens the shine of the irredescents.
container and the smoke stops.
opened. The oxygen creates another burst of flame.
plunged into cold water to halt the process.
complete. Raku is a daring process, and a great many
pots do explode during some phase of the firing.
Orders are now being taken.
will contact you with pricing.
