This Sunday, August 19, from 10 a.m. to noon, potter Patrick Cahill will be joined by his Raku Pottery Class students to participate in a raku firing at Carson City Art Gallery and Pottery.
The public is invited to watch pots fired in this exciting technique. Carson City Art Gallery & Pottery is located at 110 S Curry Street, corner of 2nd Street, housed in a building originally used as a Stage Stop. For more information, stop in or call 775-313-8628.
Raku pottery originated from Japanese potters, who would have a tea ceremony to ask for a good firing before striking up the wood kiln. Women would take a ball of clay, form a tea bowl on their elbows, and then quickly fire the pieces for a one-time use.
In the west it's a bit different, and we can achieve some amazing results. Here we take the pot out of the kiln while it is glowing red-hot and place it into a metal trash can with newspapers in the bottom.
The paper catches fire and is quickly snuffed out. Wherever there is no glaze on the pot, the reduction caused by removing the oxygen turns the area black. When the can is warm to the touch the pots are carefully removed and allowed to cool. Sometimes potters take horsehair to a pot with no glaze. The colors are beautiful, and no pot comes out the same.