red design tea bowl from the Raku firing

This unique piece is made with the Japanese Raku technique. Every step of the work, including the razor-sharp edge of the glaze, was meticulously handcrafted. The organic form gives the piece an immense dynamic, which is only intensified by the white highlights.

The tea bowl is hand turned by me on the potter's wheel. In the leather-hard condition the clay was turned cleanly and the bottom was modelled.

Afterwards the vessel was worked on with the raku technique in a glaze band. This technique was developed in Japan in the 16th century and is appreciated worldwide. The ceramics, which are at 1000 °C, are taken out of the kiln at a yellow glowing temperature and placed in a reducing environment. The reducing environment was achieved here with sawdust. As soon as the yellow glowing ceramics come into contact with the shavings, they ignite them. The airtight covering leads to reduction and a smouldering fire.
The rapid drop in temperature causes stress cracks (cracs) and a craquelé in the vessel. The soot dyes these in black and makes each piece unmistakably unique. Finally, I cleaned the ceramics with a rough sponge and steel wool. Despite the most careful cleaning, the smell of ashes, soot and fire has not yet completely disappeared, but the firing has simply not been long enough.

I worked with two glazes. The red main glaze offers a nice contrast with the black lines. On the outside there are additional white quadrants, which were worked in as a highlight.

The tea bowl has a wobble-free and stable base. It is not 100% waterproof, which is due to the technique. Due to the suspended matter contained in the tea, the few still open tubules sinter and quickly seal the Chawan

This is an absolutely unique specimen, which has required countless hours of steady hand and alert eye. It is not for people who rush down their tea, it is something for connoisseurs!

The tea bowl weighs about 200 g, which is relatively little for a vessel of this size/function. It is approx. 9 cm high and has a diameter of 8.5 cm at the top edge. The filling volume is > 230 mL.