RAKU
The Origin...
Raku technique was born in Japan, with a zen root. That’s the reason why it can exalt the small things armony and the beauty of simplicity.
Raku comes from the tea ceremony: a rite focused on the tea bowl, with hand dimensions, shared by guests.
The Inventor
Raku techinque find its origin in the Momoyama era (16th Century b.C) from a tile maker named Chojiro. He worked on this techinique to produce tea bowls in an easier way.
For Chojiro’s tile makers descendants, still alive and working in Japan.
The Meaning
The word “Raku” means “comfortable, relaxed, enjoyable, joy of life” and it was used from the 16th Century in the clay Kyoto suburb.
The Cooking
The Raku process takes place in a special kiln without a ceramic glaze, made by cementless strong bricks that can reach circa 940° Celsius degrees. Arrived at this temperature, you can remove it while it’s still glowing from the heat and put immediatly in bins on which sawdust is thrown
This fuel, burning near the pieces, causes a great oxygen reduction. The final stage is to dunk the piece in cold water and clean to remove the ash.
The Result
Let the metallic nuances shine bright.
These metallic shades appear because of a partial or total lack of oxygen and a unrepeatable craqlè magically comes, colored by smoke of comustible materia