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Raku

“Raku” describes a type of pottery preferred by Japanese tea masters. The process began about 400 years ago in Japan and became popular in the United States in the 1960’s.

In this process low-temperature bisque-ware is brushed with glazes containing metal oxides such as copper carbonate and red iron oxide. The pottery is placed in a preheated kiln and fired rapidly to 1820ºF in about 45 minutes. The glowing-red pots are removed by hand with protective gloves and placed in a barrel of combustibles such as paper or sawdust. The barrel is sealed for twenty minutes, creating an oxygen-free atmosphere which sparks a chemical reaction called “reduction.” Carbon and carbon monoxide liberated during combustion chemically take oxygen from the clay and glaze materials, causing the metallic effects apparent on the pottery surface. Areas of exposed clay become smoked during this process. The pieces are then quenched in a barrel of water and scrubbed to remove excess smoke and carbon build-up.

The spontaneous effects of Raku are affected by even slight variables in firing time, reduction time, etc. The plethora of possible effects are part of the aesthetics of Raku; such yielding to nature appealed to Japanese tea masters and continues to appeal to contemporary potter Christopher Mathie.

Christopher sees his artistic journey in Raku as a life-experiment, which continues the evolution of a time-honored tradition.