nadin_reader_GD219

T E C H N I Q U E S
A colorful raku piece that
has cooled after firing
raku ceramics
the basics of the traditional Japanese technique
by beth peterson
Raku is a Japanese word that can
be translated as enjoyment, happiness,
or comfort. In 1580, the
potter Chijiro is thought to be the first to
produce this form of ware. He developed
a low-fire pottery process in which he
placed ware directly into a red-hot
kiln, then once the glazes had melted,
removing the ware from the still red-hot
kiln and allowing the pottery to compltely
cool outside of the kiln.
This direct process was well received,
especially by enthusiasts of the tea ceremony.
In 1598 a gold seal was presented to
Chijiro (or possibly his son) by the ruler
Hideyoshi. This seal was engraved with
the ideograph for ​raku. Raku thus became
Chijiro’s family title. In 1940, British potter
Bernard Leach published A Potter’s Book
in which he described his very first introduction
to the process of raku.
American potter Hal Riegger began
experimenting with the process and
subsequently, beginning in 1958, to
include it in classes and workshops he
taught. Somewhere in that milieu of trial
and experimentation, pieces began to be
reduced in combustible material once
removed from the kiln. Raku requires
preparation before you take on this form
of firing. First, you need to use a clay body
that can withstand the thermal shocks it
will go through. Second, you will need
a kiln that is appropriate for the process of
raku firing. Third, you need to have
the proper equipment.
Clay bodies, for raku, tend to contain
30% to 50% non-plastic material, such as
grog, sand, organic materials, or kyanite.
Stoneware bodies do well in raku, with
additions. Even though the clay body may
mature at cone 5 to 10, for raku it should
be bisqued, as usual, no higher than cone
04. Kiln firing like this leaves the clay
open and less likely to suffer damage
during the extreme temperature changes.
In 1960, American potter Paul Soldner
also began experimenting with raku ware.
Paul Solder has been quoted, saying:
“In the spirit of raku, there is
the necessity to embrace
the element of surprise.”
Raku kilns should be small; they also
must be easily opened, with the opening
large and safe enough for the ware to be
removed from the kiln while still incandescently
hot. There is any number of
styles that can be used for raku, but in my
Continued on page 64
A raku piece being pulled
out of an open-air kiln
Photography courtesy of Robert Couse-Baker
atelier 2020 | 43