Raku Firing - Dorset Art Weeks

One of many the events open to the public during Dorset Art Weeks was the raku firing shown here. The technique dates from the 17th century when it was used by the Japanese for tea bowls for use in the tea ceremony. The process relies on the intense heat of the objects to ignite the wood shavings into which they are plunged; the resulting gases and carbon react with the rapidly cooling glaze to produce a swirling, unpredictable, almost live finish. Re-invented at the end of the 20th century, it is a popular technique amongst contemporary potters.