Raku Pottery

By Tonya Rund

Raku is a firing process, which originated in Japan in the 16th century. It was used primarily in the making of vessels for tea ceremonies.

In the 1940's raku firing was introduced to potters in America and has since evolved into a very different form than the traditional Japanese raku. There are many variations and experimental methods being used today.

My process involves heating the glazed piece in an outdoor propane fueled kiln, to approximately 1850F, in about an hour. When the glaze melts and the pieces are "glowing orange" they are removed from the kiln with metal tongs and are placed into a pit or container of combustible material. (i.e…sawdust, straw or paper) The combustibles ignite and a lid is placed over the pit or container.

Eliminating the oxygen (called "reduction") causes a reaction in the glaze, which is unpredictable. The resulting appearance may be metallic looking, crazed flashes of copper, reds, blues, greens or yellows. The clay will turn black where no glaze has been applied. Most raku pieces are not utilitarian and are not vitreous. Because of the rapid temperature changes, many hours of work can be lost due to breakage…making each survivor a treasure to be enjoyed for it's distinct uniqueness.

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