Raku Firing

Raku Firing is the way in which you fire your pieces. It was first used in Japan for the ancient tea ceremonies and has a huge spiritual context in Japan. It means “Happiness through chance” as the results can be random Rachel has been working in raku for a long time so the colours she achives are fairly accurate. The pieces must first be Bisque fired to 1,000C over a 12 hour period when the ware is cool usually 24 hours it is then glazed . The Glaze is made in house and  painted onto the surface of the pieces. The pieces are then stacked in a small kiln holding about five pieces at a time. It is then fired up to 1,000 C very quickly probaly in a two and a half hour  period, at this stage the pieces are taken out while red hot and cooled rapidly in sawdust, several hundred degrees in seconds . This process gives beautiful metallic lustres and crazing which is much sought after and often described as instant age. After the pieces are cool they are retrieved from the sawdust. They are completely black but when they are washed with wire wool their indivdul beauty is revealed. Raku is an arduous task but we think the results are worth it and hope you do too.