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Raku is an ancient Japanese glazing and firing technique. Each piece is fired in a propane fueled kiln until the maturing point of the glaze. We fire our pieces to about 1900 degrees. The lid of the kiln is then removed and the piece is pulled out and laid on a bed of shredded paper underneath which lies a sand pit. More paper is placed over the top of the piece. The paper, of coarse, bursts into flames and the piece is then covered in place with a metal container.

All of our glazes have metallic oxides in them such as tin, copper, silver and cobalt. After the fire burns up the available oxygen in the metal container, the fire starts pulling oxygen molecules out of these metallic oxides. This is how the brilliant colors come about. Japanese culture placed high value on the earthiness of this once primitive firing process characterized by the crackles on the surface of the glaze which were enhanced by the carbon from the smoke of burning paper. In recent decades the raku firing process has become quite refined and yet still retains its signature earthy, serendipitous appeal.