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What is Raku?

The term Raku (literally, "enjoyment" or "ease") for this kind of pottery derives from Jurakudai, the name of a palace

in Kyoto built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598), the leading warrior statesman of the time.

Raku Ware

Raku-yaki (楽焼), or Raku ware, is a type of Japanese pottery that is traditionally and primarily used in the Japanese tea ceremony

in Japan, most often in the form of tea bowls. It is traditionally characterised by hand-moulding of the clay as opposed to turning it on

a potter's wheel, resulting in each piece being "one-of-a-kind"; low firing temperatures (resulting in a fairly porous body); lead glaze;

and the removal of pieces from the kiln while still glowing hot. In the traditional Japanese firing process, the fired Raku piece is

removed from the hot kiln and put directly into water or allowed to cool in the open air. Raku techniques have been adopted and modified by contemporary potters worldwide.