raku turquoise lidded pot

A unique Raku lidded pot glazed inside and out in shades of turquoise and white.

Thrown on the wheel of extra-strong stoneware clay, I bisque-fired the pot to 1000 degrees C before applying the glazes. I then fired it again to the same temperature and transferred it immediately to a drum of wood shavings which ignited in the intense heat. With the drum closed the fire extracted oxygen from both the glaze and the clay. The thermal shock produced the desired crazing while smoke penetrated the clay body turned the unglazed surfaces a dark shade of grey.

Height: 13 cm
Base diameter 15 cm
Not suitable for food

Raku-firing which originated in Japan is by definition unpredictable. It really is a matter of handing control to the flames. Each finished piece is unlike all others. There is frustration, there is elation and there is the joy of success, beautiful lines encircling the piece and an interplay and fusion of the glazes applied.