| Raku Wall Box in the kiln |
| Close up of Copper Matte Candle Stand |
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| Oil covered vessel shown with burnishing stones. |
Raku is a rapid and spontaneous method of glazing and firing pottery which was
created in Japan in the 16th century. The pieces fired in this way were used, in
great part, for the Zen tea ceremony. The word Raku means felicity or happiness.
Raku was brought to the United States by potters Paul Soldner and Hal
Riegger. Through their experimentation of the original process Western
Raku was born. In this process low-temperature bisque-ware is brushed
with glazes containing metal oxides such as copper, cobalt and iron. The pottery
is placed in a propane fueled kiln and fired rapidly to 1820˚F in about 45
minutes. The glowing-red pots are removed with tongs or protective gloves and
placed in a barrel of combustibles such as paper or sawdust. The barrel is
sealed for fifteen to twenty minutes, creating an oxygen-free atmosphere which
sparks a chemical reaction called “reduction”. Carbon and carbon monoxide
liberated during combustion chemically take oxygen from the clay and glaze
materials, causing the metallic effects apparent on the pottery surface. Areas of
exposed clay become blackened with smoke during this process. The pieces
are then quenched in a barrel of water and scrubbed to remove excess smoke
and carbon build-up.
The spontaneous effects of Raku are affected by even slight variables in
firing time, reduction time, glaze application and environmental
conditions. The exorbitant numbers of possible effects are part of the
aesthetics of Raku. Such yielding to nature appealed to Japanese tea
masters and continues to appeal to contemporary potters today.
.
Raku works are one of a kind pieces of fine art. They are not intended for food
or as containers for liquids. As with all works of fine art, Raku pieces should be
handled with care and protected from direct sunlight.
created in Japan in the 16th century. The pieces fired in this way were used, in
great part, for the Zen tea ceremony. The word Raku means felicity or happiness.
Raku was brought to the United States by potters Paul Soldner and Hal
Riegger. Through their experimentation of the original process Western
Raku was born. In this process low-temperature bisque-ware is brushed
with glazes containing metal oxides such as copper, cobalt and iron. The pottery
is placed in a propane fueled kiln and fired rapidly to 1820˚F in about 45
minutes. The glowing-red pots are removed with tongs or protective gloves and
placed in a barrel of combustibles such as paper or sawdust. The barrel is
sealed for fifteen to twenty minutes, creating an oxygen-free atmosphere which
sparks a chemical reaction called “reduction”. Carbon and carbon monoxide
liberated during combustion chemically take oxygen from the clay and glaze
materials, causing the metallic effects apparent on the pottery surface. Areas of
exposed clay become blackened with smoke during this process. The pieces
are then quenched in a barrel of water and scrubbed to remove excess smoke
and carbon build-up.
The spontaneous effects of Raku are affected by even slight variables in
firing time, reduction time, glaze application and environmental
conditions. The exorbitant numbers of possible effects are part of the
aesthetics of Raku. Such yielding to nature appealed to Japanese tea
masters and continues to appeal to contemporary potters today.
.
Raku works are one of a kind pieces of fine art. They are not intended for food
or as containers for liquids. As with all works of fine art, Raku pieces should be
handled with care and protected from direct sunlight.
Naked Raku or Slip Resist Raku is a relatively new technique which has risen out
of the traditional Eastern and Western Raku Movements. As with traditional
Raku, Naked Raku works are fired quickly in a rush of excitement, smoke, and
frantic activity.
Naked Raku works are constructed using traditional methods of hand building,
wheel throwing or a combination of these techniques. The types of clay used will
vary among artists; however, all clays used must be able to withstand the
tremendous stresses of rapidly changing temperatures during the final firing.
Once constructed, works are allowed to dry completely. They are then burnished
or polished using an agate or other hard, smooth object. This process is very
tedious and time consuming, often taking several hours to complete one piece.
The finished works are not covered with glazes or surface preparations of any
kind. The fine surface and beautiful shine is merely polished clay. The quality of
the surface is directly proportional to the time the artist spends in burnishing.
Upon completion of the burnishing stage the works are bisque fired to help
strengthen them for the final firing process.
Bisqued works are covered with a thin coating of liquid clay called slip. Once this
layer is dry a thin layer of sacrificial glaze is then applied to the slip. These two
layers dry and shrink at different rates and begin to produce a crackled surface.
The work is then fired in a propane fueled Raku kiln to temperatures approaching
1800˚ F. The glowing hot works are quickly removed from the kiln and placed into
metal cans containing newspaper and sawdust. The cans are then sealed
allowing heavy black smoke to penetrate the works and seep through the cracks
in the slip/glaze layer. When the works are cool the sacrificial slip and glaze
layers are gently peeled away leaving the “Naked” clay surface with a randomly
beautiful smoked design.
Naked Raku works are one of a kind pieces of fine art. They are not intended for
food or as containers for liquids. As with all works of fine art, Naked Raku pieces
should be handled with care and protected from direct sunlight.
of the traditional Eastern and Western Raku Movements. As with traditional
Raku, Naked Raku works are fired quickly in a rush of excitement, smoke, and
frantic activity.
Naked Raku works are constructed using traditional methods of hand building,
wheel throwing or a combination of these techniques. The types of clay used will
vary among artists; however, all clays used must be able to withstand the
tremendous stresses of rapidly changing temperatures during the final firing.
Once constructed, works are allowed to dry completely. They are then burnished
or polished using an agate or other hard, smooth object. This process is very
tedious and time consuming, often taking several hours to complete one piece.
The finished works are not covered with glazes or surface preparations of any
kind. The fine surface and beautiful shine is merely polished clay. The quality of
the surface is directly proportional to the time the artist spends in burnishing.
Upon completion of the burnishing stage the works are bisque fired to help
strengthen them for the final firing process.
Bisqued works are covered with a thin coating of liquid clay called slip. Once this
layer is dry a thin layer of sacrificial glaze is then applied to the slip. These two
layers dry and shrink at different rates and begin to produce a crackled surface.
The work is then fired in a propane fueled Raku kiln to temperatures approaching
1800˚ F. The glowing hot works are quickly removed from the kiln and placed into
metal cans containing newspaper and sawdust. The cans are then sealed
allowing heavy black smoke to penetrate the works and seep through the cracks
in the slip/glaze layer. When the works are cool the sacrificial slip and glaze
layers are gently peeled away leaving the “Naked” clay surface with a randomly
beautiful smoked design.
Naked Raku works are one of a kind pieces of fine art. They are not intended for
food or as containers for liquids. As with all works of fine art, Naked Raku pieces
should be handled with care and protected from direct sunlight.
| Naked Raku works submerged in a water bath for cooling. |
| A sample of ingredients which are used in the saggar. |
| Saggar loaded with fuming materials and work. |
 |
Saggar firing is an alternative firing process for ceramics. Saggars are box-like
or bowl-like lidded containers thrown specifically for each piece from a
specialized fireclay. These special fireclay containers are used to enclose
works for special treatment in the kiln. The word “saggar” is thought to have
come from the word “safeguard”. Historically, reusable saggars were used to
protect or safeguard certain works and glazes from flames, smoke, gases, and
ash present in early wood fired kilns. Saggars were used for this purpose in
ancient China, Korea, and Japan, as well as the industrial potteries of Great
Britain. Today, some industrial potteries still use saggars for these purposes.
Clay artists and craftsmen during the 20th and 21st centuries began
experimenting with saggars to create nonfunctional decorative works. In contrast
to the traditional use of saggars, modern artists use the containers to
concentrate the effects of certain materials rather than shielding them.
Works for saggar firing are carefully prepared by wheel throwing, hand building,
or a combination of both techniques. Once constructed and dried, the pieces
are carefully smoothed with fine steel wool to remove any surface marks left from
the construction process. Works are then either burnished with a smooth stone
or covered with a several coats of terra sigillata and burnished. The burnishing
process compacts the clay giving it both increased strength and a luminous
shine. Burnished works are then bisque fired in an electric kiln to around
1650˚F. This strengthens the pieces and prepares them for the saggar firing.
Bisqued works are nestled into their saggars which contain a nest of
combustible materials. These materials vary among artists but usually include
sawdust, wood shavings, grasses, leaves, seaweed, salt-soaked materials,
metal oxides, salts, copper wire, and steel wool. Saggars are then sealed with
their lids and stacked in a propane fueled kiln. The kiln is the slowly brought up
to between 1700˚F and 1800˚F. Once reaching the target temperature the kiln
is soaked or held at this temperature for about twenty minutes. During the firing
the materials within the saggars ignite and fume leaving markings on the works
which range from subtle to dramatic. Colors range from the distinctive black and
white to flashes of gold, pink, orange, red, green and smoky blue. Once the
firing is complete the works are left in their saggars in the kiln until they are cool
enough to handle. After works are removed, they are carefully cleaned of ash
and residue and coated with a fine layer of wax. The wax enhances the shine
and protects the pieces from dust and handling.
Saggar fired works are one of a kind pieces of fine art. They are not intended
for food or as containers for liquids. As with all works of fine art, saggar pieces
should be handled with care and protected from direct sunlight.
or bowl-like lidded containers thrown specifically for each piece from a
specialized fireclay. These special fireclay containers are used to enclose
works for special treatment in the kiln. The word “saggar” is thought to have
come from the word “safeguard”. Historically, reusable saggars were used to
protect or safeguard certain works and glazes from flames, smoke, gases, and
ash present in early wood fired kilns. Saggars were used for this purpose in
ancient China, Korea, and Japan, as well as the industrial potteries of Great
Britain. Today, some industrial potteries still use saggars for these purposes.
Clay artists and craftsmen during the 20th and 21st centuries began
experimenting with saggars to create nonfunctional decorative works. In contrast
to the traditional use of saggars, modern artists use the containers to
concentrate the effects of certain materials rather than shielding them.
Works for saggar firing are carefully prepared by wheel throwing, hand building,
or a combination of both techniques. Once constructed and dried, the pieces
are carefully smoothed with fine steel wool to remove any surface marks left from
the construction process. Works are then either burnished with a smooth stone
or covered with a several coats of terra sigillata and burnished. The burnishing
process compacts the clay giving it both increased strength and a luminous
shine. Burnished works are then bisque fired in an electric kiln to around
1650˚F. This strengthens the pieces and prepares them for the saggar firing.
Bisqued works are nestled into their saggars which contain a nest of
combustible materials. These materials vary among artists but usually include
sawdust, wood shavings, grasses, leaves, seaweed, salt-soaked materials,
metal oxides, salts, copper wire, and steel wool. Saggars are then sealed with
their lids and stacked in a propane fueled kiln. The kiln is the slowly brought up
to between 1700˚F and 1800˚F. Once reaching the target temperature the kiln
is soaked or held at this temperature for about twenty minutes. During the firing
the materials within the saggars ignite and fume leaving markings on the works
which range from subtle to dramatic. Colors range from the distinctive black and
white to flashes of gold, pink, orange, red, green and smoky blue. Once the
firing is complete the works are left in their saggars in the kiln until they are cool
enough to handle. After works are removed, they are carefully cleaned of ash
and residue and coated with a fine layer of wax. The wax enhances the shine
and protects the pieces from dust and handling.
Saggar fired works are one of a kind pieces of fine art. They are not intended
for food or as containers for liquids. As with all works of fine art, saggar pieces
should be handled with care and protected from direct sunlight.
| Completed saggar ready for firing. |
| Billowing smoke from a heavy reduction. |
| Copyright © 2008 Allyson May and Stoney Creek Pottery. All rights reserved. |
