Raku Ceramics History

Raku ware 楽焼 raku yaki is a type of japanese pottery traditionally used in japanese tea ceremonies most often in the form of chawan tea bowls.

Raku ceramics history.

Raku is a low fired ceramic ware first produced by sasaki chōjirō d. Raku is a japanese word that can be translated as enjoyment happiness or comfort. Raku pottery was first developed by japanese potters in the 16th century and it still holds a mystique and is embraced by amateur and professional potters till this day. The appeal was heightened in japan when the ware was created for use in japanese tea ceremonies.

Tea bowls are seldom made perfectly round. Raku glaze is par excellence one of the oldest products in the history of ceramics and sicer always attentive to both tradition and innovation among its products it holds a series of raku glazes with shiny and satin metal surfaces that allow to achieve unique and exceptional aged effects. Traditionally used in japanese tea ceremonies rakuware 楽焼 raku yaki is a famous type of japanese pottery this art form was highly appreciated by tea masters for the purity and unpretentiousness of the objects especially chawan tea bowls. This hand forming encouraged the valued irregularity of shape.

The history of raku pottery goes back almost four hundred years but even today there are japanese potters who wheel form tea bowls and then hand form the same bowl when the clay is leather hard. With a history stretching back to 1580 rakuware remains today the most sought after of japanese ceramics and an unparalleled example of wabi sabi. The raku museum is the unique specialisitic museum of raku ware exhibiting a collection of raku pieces handed down by the raku family a ceramic dynasty of 450 years history and making further studies on this subject. Under the encouragement and patronage of his close friend tea master sen no rikyū he crafted a style of bowl which was very much unlike the colorful chinese influenced ceramics of the time.

The raku museum is the unique specialisitic museum of raku ware exhibiting a collection of raku pieces handed down by the raku family a ceramic dynasty of 450 years history and making further studies on this subject. He developed a low fire pottery process in which he placed ware directly into a red hot kiln then once the glazes had melted removing the ware from the still red hot kiln and allowing the pottery to cool outside the kiln. Delving further into raku s history it dates right back to the early 1550s as mentioned specifically for the zen buddhist masters in their ceremonial teaware it s been well documented that this was the favored method of ceramics for the zen buddhist masters as raku ware touches on many of the things that zen philosophy embodies most notably its simplicity and naturalness. It is traditionally characterised by being hand shaped rather than thrown fairly porous vessels which result from low firing temperatures lead glazes and the removal of pieces from the kiln while still glowing hot.