Green

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The process:
Firstly the pots are made using hand building techniques originating in the 16th century in Japan.

Hand building techniques were introduced according to a new aesthetic in the tea ceremony, this was in contrast to symmetrical, wheel thrown pots. after the making process the tea bowls are biscuit fired to a 1050 c in an electric kiln. The pieces are then hand painted in Raku glazes which are then placed in an outdoor Raku kiln. The unique Raku part of the process is that the pieces are fired up to 800c and are removed from the kiln with the glaze in a molten state and placed in a reduction chamber. The reduction chambers usually consist of sawdust, straw and newspaper ie combustible materials that both carbonise and reduce the glazes. This creates both a crackle effect and a reduction effect : eg copper oxide which normally fires as green becomes reduced to copper reds. Raku means joy, immediacy and serendipity which expresses this undefinable and surprising process. The irregularity of the forms which eminate from the hand building process, fire the natural oxides and reduction dictate a myriad of qualities, characteristics and effects which are difficult to predict: the joy of Zen, Wabisabi and Raku.

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