CLAY ART POTTERY

Clay Art Pottery presents Raku and Pit Fired Pottery

by Vicki Hardin.

Raku is a Japanese inspired method of firing that creates unpredictable smoke patterns and spectacular metallic and crackle effects in the glazes. After initially firing the piece in a kiln, it is glazed and fired a second time. When the temperature of the piece reaches between 1600 and 1800 degrees and the glaze has melted, the piece is placed in combustible materials (leaves, sawdust and pine needles) in a metal container and covered. This is called post reduction during which the oxygen is burned out of the glaze taking the colorants back to a metal producing the metallic lusters seen in raku.