What is raku technique?
Raku is a Japanese style of pottery first made during the 1580s; the practice is characterised by the removal of a clay object from the kiln at the height of the firing and causing it to cool very rapidly. Originally created for the tea ceremony, Raku ware is most commonly found in the form of tea bowls.
What makes raku unique?
Americans kept the general firing process, that is, heating the pottery quickly to high temperatures and cooling it quickly, but continued to form their own unique style of raku. Raku’s unpredictable results and intense color attracts modern potters.

What was the point of putting the hot raku pieces in the garbage cans?
The piece is inserted into the garbage can, and the lid put on. As the heat from the pot burns up the combustibles, the oxygen inside the garbage can is consumed. After about 20 minutes, you can remove your piece/pot. And after some cleanup, you have a truly unique piece of art.
How is raku firing different?
Western-style Raku firing differs from normal firing as it uses a low-fire method that means the ceramic piece is heated very quickly. The unpredictability of the outcome is something that attracts many potters to this method.

Who invented Raku?
potter Chōjirō
raku ware, Japanese hand-molded lead-glazed earthenware, originally invented in 16th-century Kyōto by the potter Chōjirō, who was commissioned by Zen tea master Sen Rikyū to design wares expressly for the tea ceremony.
Who invented Raku firing?
Sasaki Chōjirō
Raku is a low-fired ceramic ware first produced by Sasaki Chōjirō (d. 1592) in the 16th century in Kyoto. Under the encouragement and patronage of his close friend, tea master Sen no Rikyū, he crafted a style of bowl which was very much unlike the colorful Chinese-influenced ceramics of the time.
Who invented raku firing?
Can you bisque fire in raku kiln?
Bisque firing in a raku kiln is in a certain extent possible however: It may require concessions with regard to your choice of clay that you are using. It require practice and building up some experience.
Can you fire raku clay to cone 6?
RAKU FIRING – These Spectrum glazes can be fired anywhere from 1600 F up to cone 06 (1850 F) in either an electric or gas kiln.
Can you raku firing porcelain?
Porcelain can be raku fired if it contains a suitable grog, is well made, and is fired under 1200F.
What is Shino pottery?
Shino ware (志野焼, Shino-yaki) is Japanese pottery, usually stoneware, originally from Mino Province, in present-day Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It emerged in the 16th century, but the use of shino glaze is now widespread, both in Japan and abroad.
Can you glaze raku?
Glaze can be applied to raku pottery in the same way it can be applied to other bisqueware.
Who invented raku?
Can you raku greenware?
Typically, the greenware is bisque fired to around 1650F (900C). It is then allowed to cool before any slips or glazes are applied. The raku process takes place during the final firing. The glaze fire in a raku process ranges in temperature between 1470-1830F (800-1000C).
Can you raku Terracotta?
If your stoneware clay is not grogged, you can easily make it suitable for raku by wedging in some grog. A good rule of thumb is to add about 30% grog to stoneware to make it more refractory. It is best to have enough grog in your clay to make it more refractory.
Can you eat off raku pottery?
May I use your Raku ceramics to eat and/or drink? Yes, you may. Unlike traditional Raku ceramics, we use only food-safe glazes without lead or other metals.
Can you Raku Terracotta?
What does Raku mean in Japanese?
pleasure
Japanese, literally, pleasure; from the use of the character for this word on a seal given to the family of the potter who introduced the style.
What is Tenmoku glaze?
The term Tenmoku glaze is used generically for dark iron-bearing glazes similar to those used on Tenmoku tea bowls.” and a glaze: “Tenmokuyu = A general term used for iron glazes that fire a dark brown colour. These include kokuyu (black glaze), kakiyu (persimmon glaze) and bekkoyu (tortoiseshell glaze).
What is soda glaze?
In the soda firing process, soda ash (sodium carbonate) in water solution, instead of salt, is sprayed into kiln at maturing temperature, and sodium vapor combines with silica in clay to form sodium-silicate glaze.
How do I get crackle in raku?
To achieve a good crackle, which is the hallmark of a great Raku pot, once the firing is complete and you have turned off the fuel and removed the kiln lid, allow the Raku kiln to cool down a little before removing your pots from the kiln.
Can I Refire raku?
Since these firings need a lack of oxygen in order for the glazes to develop, you can’t refire them in an oxidation firing (electric kiln) or all the reduction you did will be reversed. For example, in Raku, carbon causes the clay to go black where it isn’t glazed.
Can I glaze fire twice?
To summarize, it’s possible to glaze fire pottery twice or even multiple times. Fired pottery can be glazed several times to add textures, accents, and effects, and multiple firings are possible.
What is the Naked Raku technique?
Charlie and Linda Riggs’ Naked Raku Technique The Art of Naked Raku Linda and Charlie Riggs Naked raku gets its racy name because during the process of firing, the outer shell of slip that was applied falls off revealing the “naked” surface of the pot underneath.
What is Raku and how was it developed?
The ancient Eastern styles of Raku were developed with new methods by American ceramicist Paul Soldner in the 1960s. The methods he created were known as ‘low-temperature salt firing ,’ and he was known to teach his students ‘not to fight the unexpected but to look for the opportunities it offers.’
What is Western-style Raku firing?
Western-style Raku firing differs from normal firing as it uses a low-fire method that means the ceramic piece is heated very quickly. The unpredictability of the outcome is something that attracts many potters to this method. Typically western Raku is made from stoneware and heated to around 1,650 F.
How does Raku firing change the texture of clay?
During a Raku firing, volatile portions of compounds and molecules in the clay/glaze breaks free and the free oxygen attaches to the remaining material. This forms what is called oxides. This process is called oxidation. The oxidation alters the color of the glaze and also changes the texture of your clay. The changes can sometimes be dramatic.