Raku Kiln

EARTHNFIRE POTTERY

Passion with Purpose

Creation of a Kiln
I love my Raku kiln AND it's creator. A special "thank you" to my great husband, Ray, for all his help, encouragement, and support in pursuing my passion.

A Brief Explanation of Raku

Raku pots are bisque fired, glazed, then fired to approximately 1800 degrees F. Once that temperature is reached the piece is then quickly removed from the hot kiln with tongs and placed in a barrel of combustionable material (I use shreded news paper and saw dust). When the glowing hot pot is placed in the barrel the paper & saw dust immediately burst into flames. The piece is covered with additional paper and a lid is placed on the barrel to produce an oxygen free chamber. After about 10 minutes the piece is then removed from the combustion chamber and plunged into water to prevent any further oxidation. Once cooled the piece is scrubbed to remove smoke and excess carbon revealing it's beauty. This technique of firing produces truly original "one-of-a-kind" pieces of collectable art.

Raku is a centuries old Japanese technique of firing pottery. Raku means pleasure, happiness, contentment, and enjoyment. Each Raku pot is handled individually through out the process from raw clay to the finished pot, allowing a more intimate involvement with each pot. Because of the unpredictability of the Raku firing process no two pieces are ever alike. Participating in a Raku firing is like watching fireworks on the 4th of July!

Because of the terrific stress and thermal shock the pot is subjected to during the Raku firing process cracking can occur throughout the glaze and the clay body. The crackeling of the glaze acquires carbon during the reduction process, highlighting them and adding beauty to the piece. Raku pottery is non-functional and should not be used for storing liquids or for food. "It's immense beauty is it's function"!