RAKU FIRING

Its origins go back to 16th century Japan and the cultural aestheticism of the tea masters and their socially democratic order to drinking tea.
The tea ceremony, with the help of raku fired tea bowls, was used to bridge the distance between spirit and embodiment in Japan. It was, and still is a way to view eternal virtues in ordinary things and events.

Technically, raku is low temperature pottery that is placed into a cold or already hot kiln (oven) with metal tongs and fired to maturity in less than one hour. After reaching temperature the pots are immediately removed, while glowing hot, with long handed metal tongs and placed into a metal container (garbage can) partly filled with a combustible such as dry hay or straw. Once the combustible is ignited by the hot pot and the flames peak, the container is quickly covered with a lid and sealed to prevent air from entering and smoke from exiting.The flames inside the thightly sealed container now become desperate for oxigen, which is requiered for combustion, and chemically removes it from the clay and glaze before being snuffed out. This is known as the post-firing reduction phase . This alluring reduction phase is what captivates and engages contemporary raku potters.