Raku Firing

  

There are several steps to create the artistic pottery that goes from greenware, to bisque firing and finally, the glaze firing which is shown below. The following pictures are of Tom doing the final Raku glaze firing.
 
The process of  Raku involves heating glazed pots to 1800 degrees F.

 The kiln is opened and each molten glazed pot is removed with a pair of tongs.

  The placement of the extremely hot pot in
a container of combustible sawdust, produces thick black smoke that is wicked into
the porous clay body accentuating the crackle pattern.

 

 Because of the porous aspect of the clay body and crazing of the glazes, Raku pots are not watertight.
 
Their function is in their beauty.
When the pots have cooled, they are removed from the smoking chamber and doused with water.  The soot covered pots are scrubbed clean to expose the crazed surface and unusual colors created by this firing process.   This rapid cooling fractures the glaze, creating a distinctive network of lines called "Crazing".