Raku Firing

Some people call it spring. We call it great raku firing weather.

Raku firing stems from the Japanese raku tradition, in which hand-shaped pieces are fired at low temperatures, removed from the kiln while glowing hot, and allowed to cool in the open air.

Brad transfers glowing hot Hill Spirit masks from one container
to another during a raku firing on March 16, 2015

Contemporary potters have made many modifications to the raku firing technique, including the technique of submerging the glowing-hot piece in a container filled with combustible material, a method we use here at Mud Dabbers.

We use fireproof (although not very pretty) containers to submerge pieces in burning newspaper
during the last stages of each raku firing.

We think of spring as great raku firing weather because all our raku firing takes place outdoors. Brad took advantage of the beautiful weather earlier this week to fire these Hill Spirit masks.

Hill Spirit masks cool outdoors before they can be rinsed and prepared for sale.

A finished Hill Spirit mask awaits its new owners after undergoing the raku firing process.

Raku pottery is beautiful and collectible, often with a uniquely iridescent appearance. Always display raku pottery away from direct sunlight, as this can cause the colors to fade over time.

All masks featured in this post are now available in our Balsam, North Carolina showroom. If you're visiting us for the first time, you can click here for directions to our shop. We'd love to meet you!