Handmade Raku can with gear wheels - gear wheel head

Gears are a fascinating invention and keep the world going. A tribute has now been paid to these small pacemakers and they have been captured in this sophisticated Raku tin.

The decorative Raku tin was assembled by hand and brought into the discus shape. To prevent it from settling, the clay has been repeatedly dried with fire and kept in shape. The lid of the handmade decorative tin fits seamlessly into the body and is held by 3 teeth. The theme of teeth is cleverly continued on the surface. The handle of the decorative box is formed by three filigree gear wheels. One of them is bent elongated and carries the other two. Together, the three form a smiling face - the gear head!

The glaze firing of the cogwheel head was carried out using the Japanese Raku technique. In this old and dangerous method, ceramics are taken out of the kiln at over 1000 degrees Celsius. Yellow glowing as they are, they are placed in beech wood shavings and ignite them immediately. The rapid drop in temperature causes stress cracks in the glaze. The soot, ashes and fire penetrate every crack, no matter how small, and colour it black. This unique craquelé is typical for Raku and worth the risk!

The handmade tin is about cm high and the body has a diameter of cm. The weight of the handmade decorative tin is about 1 kg. As Raku is born out of fire, the pottery still smells of it. The smell, however, disappears relatively quickly, leaving behind a unique piece of handicraft.