Raku or Rakuyaki is a method of firing pottery that originated in Japan in the mid 1500's. The Japanese originally used wood-fired kilns. Today, most potters use the Western method of firing in a gas or propoane kiln. There are as many ways to Raku as there are potters.

Most Rakuware is made of stoneware clay that contains grog to help it withstand the thermal shock the pots are subjected to during this process. All of my Raku is porclain clay with a small amount of molochite for grog. This does make my Raku pieces more fragile and I do have a large percent that do not survive. But I like the way porcelain clay takes the glaze and smoke and continue to use it for this reason.

After first bisque firing my pots to cone 04, I fire them in a natural gas kiln to 1800-1850 degrees. Unlike normal kiln firing, Raku is characterized by bringing the pots quickly to temperature and removing them from the kiln while still red hot. The actual firing often takes as little as 1.5 hours as opposed to 8 - 12 hours or longer for a normal glaze firing. When the kiln reaches temperature, I remove the red hot pots using long handled tongs and protective gloves and clothing. I then carefully place the pots into barrels filled with combustible and/or organic material. I use newspaper, magazines, and various types of saw dust to create the smoke and reduce the glaze. I let the material flame up and get a good fire going and then put a tight lid on the can to smother the fire and create a heavy smoke environment.

This rapid change in temperature often results in cracks in the glaze into which the smoke can enter. Any unglazed areas of the pot will turn black as a result of this smoking process. I let the pots cool in the barrels until most of the smoking stops ( about 30-45 minutes ). I then remove them from the barrel and quickly immerse them in water. Pots fired this way are subjected to a high degrees of thermal shock and often do not survive the process. That makes each one that does survive even more special! Each pot will be removed from the water after a few minutes and scrubbed to remove any sawdust or clinging burned material.

Raku pottery is not food safe and should be used for decorative purposes only. If left outside, the clay will absorb moisture and eventually break. These pots should also be kept out of direct sunlight, as is is possible for the colors to fade, somewhat, over time. For these reasons, care should be taken with Raku pieces.

I love Raku and think of these pots as "The Underdogs", as they have endured the strenuous process and survived!

For more information, refer to this Ceramics Today article.