Colorado Horse Hair Raku Pottery

Originating from Japan in the sixteenth century, raku is a low-temperature, rapid-firing technique.  This distinctive process involves the pottery being quickly fired, taken out of the kiln red-hot and then either left out in the open air to cool, or buried in a combustible material to smolder and reduce.  Raku is a very versatile type of firing and can produce a broad spectrum of results - from rich smoky, carbon-trapped surfaces, to crackle surfaces, to bright metallic lusters.   Pieces of raku are constructed using coarse, heavy-grogged clay which is more resilient to thermal shock, caused by extreme shifts between hot and cold.

Raku is characteristically used for decorative pottery rather than for functional purposes because the fired ceramic remains porous, and therefore is not water-tight or food safe.  

With Paula’s work,  the wares are taken out of the kiln at approximately 1200 °F and the horse hairs are then carefully positioned across the surface of the piece and burned into the clay creating a unique design, making each piece one-of-a-kind.