Intro to Raku
By Jacquelyn Sublett
Glassman Clay Studios
Background About Me
- Born and raised in Indianapolis, IN
- Got into ceramics during my first year of UNCA
- Attending UNCA for a BFA in ceramics and a Major in
Physics
- Worked at UNCA’s ceramic studio for 5 years
- BFA show focusing on ceramic vessels and resonance
- Completed internship for NASA’s Psyche Inspired
Program
- Have a cute dog named Kona
What is Raku?
- A popular low-temperature, fast firing process
- Western Raku offers ceramicists an experience of a
traditional Raku firing in a relatively short time
- Raku - means ease, pleasure, or enjoyment
- Originated in 16th century Japan
- Evident that Jokei was able to express his individuality
yet respect the principles of the tea ceremony for which
the wares were created
History of Raku
- Raku originated during the Momoyama period
- Era in which feudal warlords (Shogun) ruled with the aid of samurai
- Great tea master, Sen no Rikyu, acted as the spiritual and
social advisor to the Shogun society
- Emphazised the wabi aesthetic
- Stressed rusticity and simplicity in the tea ceremony and tearoom
- Introduced the work of potter Chojiro and his son, Jokei to
one of the dominant warlords of that time
- Jokei was bestowed the name Raku, who first signed his wares with the
the Raku ideogram
Jokei
“Incense Burner with Lid”
- The name continues to be passed down in this famous family
(17h Century) of potters
- Evident that he could express his individuality, yet respect the principles
of the tenets of the tea ceremony for which the wares were created
Differences between Japanese and
Western Raku
- Differences in Japanese and Western Raku in terms of
method and philosophy
- Japanese Raku refers only to pottery created by
descendents of the Raku family for traditional Japanese
tea ceremonies
- Traditional Japanese Raku does not use reduction
Chorijo
materials after being taken out of kiln
“Kaedegure” - Western Raku artists put the hot ware in contact with
(Late 16th Century)
some sort of combustible material in a reduction
chamber after removing from kiln
Paul Soldner
- Paul Soldner and other American artists pioneered this
method in early 1960’s
- His philosophy: to put faith in serendipity, intuition, and the
happy accident, in the magic of earth meeting fire.
- Was the founder of the Anderson Ranch Art Center
- Freed the world of clay from the realm of traditional craft and
transformed it into a serious art form
- Deeply influenced by the sensibility and philosophies of Zen
Paul Soldner - His beautiful vessels rebelled against symmetry and adhered
“Bottle”
(1979) more to an asymmetrical aesthetic found in Zen Gardens and
some Japanese brush paintings
Raku Glazes vs. Normal Glazes
Glazing for Raku
Combustible Materials for Natural
Design:
- Sawdust
- Newspaper
- Feathers
- Horsehair
- Sugar
- Honey
- Coffee Grounds
- Banana Peels
- Dried Leaves/Plants/Herbs
Measuring Data
- Organize my excel spreadsheet to include time,
temperature, pressure for each kiln firing and make a
graph out of all the collective firing data
- This structure lets me:
- Graph temperature vs. time
- Graph pressure vs. time
- Compare multiple firings
- Calculate firing rates
- Create combined charts
Firing Rates (Temperature vs. Time)
Firing Rates (Pressure vs. Time)
Process of Raku:
*General rules
- Don’t let pots hang off the shelf
- Don’t let pots touch the side wall
- When you turn the kiln on, leave the lid open about 6 inches
- Lower the kiln lid after 15 mins and keep at same psi
- Make sure the gas is on
- Light with propane or map gas
- Heat the thermocouple for about 10-30 seconds
- 10-15 mins in between each psi increase
- Should not have to go above 12 psi
- Damper: don’t choke too much
Process of Raku:
*15 minutes in between each round
- Round 1: Light pilot, kiln 6 in open, damper open, 1 psi
- Round 2: Close kiln fully, keep at 1 psi
- Round 3: Raise to 3 psi
- Round 4: Raise to 5 psi
- Round 5: Raise to 7 psi, Check for bubble development
- Round 6: Raise to 9 psi, Check for bubble development
- Round 7: Raise to 11 psi, Check for surface quality
- Round 8: Raise to 12 psi, Check for surface quality
- Unglazed Pieces: 1700 F° Goal temperature
- Glazed Pieces: 1900 F° Goal temperature
RAKU
TIME
Sources:
“Attributed to Raku Chōjirō - Tea Bowl Named ‘Kaedegure’ (Twilight by the Maples) - Japan - Momoyama
Period (1573–1615) - the Metropolitan Museum of Art.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2024,
[Link]/art/collection/search/827671.
“Jokei - Incense Burner with Lid - Japan - Edo Period (1615–1868) - the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”
[Link], 2026, [Link]/art/collection/search/53214. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
Swan, Heather. “Unexpected Effects: Learning from Clay Artist Paul Soldner.” Eastern Oregon University,
2020, [Link]/basalt/2018/09/07/unexpected-effects-learning-from-clay-artist-paul-soldner/.
Watkins, James C., and Paul Andrew Wandless. Alternative Kilns & Firing Techniques : Raku, Saggar, Pit,
Barrel. Lark, 2007.