Raku
Raku is a technique of Japanese pottery that dates to 1550 AD and is intimately bound up with the Tea Ceremony. Often seen as tea bowls, Raku is defined by hand-shaped rather than wheel-turned clay. Raku vessels are somewhat porous due to low firing temperatures. Removed from the kiln while still extremely hot, they were put in a container filled with pine needles that caused combustion, resulting in the unique Raku glazes. Raku became popular in America in the late 1950s. Adhering to the traditional process of firing, the quick heating at high temperatures, and the very rapid cooling, the Americans went on to develop their own style of Raku, creating sculpture, beads, and pendants that breathed new creative life into this ancient art.
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