This pottery is made in a low-firing method which originated in 16th century Japan and is known as Raku. In contrast to the production in an electric kiln, I fire my ceramics in a very archaic way in a wood-fired kiln. The glazed ware is fired at approx. 1000 degrees Celsius and cooled down quickly while red-hot. These cracks are darkened by smoking in sawdust and give the ceramics their typical appearance.
The randomly controlled Raku firing process creates unique vessel surfaces. Each object cannot be repeated a second time and is unique in its individuality.
A note on the use of raku ceramics:
– Liquids can be poured in for a few hours, but after a longer time they give off a slight moisture to the ceramic surface.
– Basically, washing by hand is recommended, as the salts of the dishwasher attack the raku ceramic too much in the long run.
– Due to their low-firing properties, raku ceramics are not impact-resistant, frost-proof or microwaveable.
– Avoid pouring strongly acidic liquids or food and oils into the pot.
– The glazes used are lead-free and non-toxic.
