raku vase

Ceramic artist, Betty Printy, has been conducting workshops on the firing of Raku pottery and producing Raku pottery for sale in her gallery in Bentonsport for the last ten years.

Raku is a process that dates back to 1573 A.D. in Japan.

The process involves glazing bisque fired pieces using glazes containing high amounts of copper and other metallic salts.

The pots are then fired to 1800 degrees F in a gas fired kiln.

Upon reaching the maturity temperature of the glaze, the kiln is opened and the red hot vessels are removed using tongs for handling.

The containers contain organic material such as paper, sawdust, leaves or dried grass clippings.