Hopefully at some point this semester we are going to have a raku firing in the ceramics studio.

Raku firing is the process of taking low fire clay and placing it in an open pit kiln for 1 to 2 hours and then pulling the piece while it is still burning hot out of the firing. The piece is then set into a pile of materials such as sawdust or dry leaves and covered to further burn up the material.

Image from pinterest

Image from pinterest

This process creates vibrant colors and creates a metallic like covering on the pottery, depending on what raku glaze is used.

Image from pinterest

While the process of firing in a raku kiln does not take as long as normal firings, it does make the pieces not food safe and for only decorative use.