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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Horoscope Fish" data-source="post: 466961" data-attributes="member: 13090">Here in the states, we typically do what is known as Western Raku which stems from the traditional form but is significantly different. In traditional Japanese Raku, the piece is removed from the kiln and then dipped into water, or is left sitting out in the open to cool slowly. These are the traditional methods for making ceramic used in the Tea Ceremony.In Western Raku the piece is removed from the kiln while still glowing hot and then quickly plunged into a container full of combustible material (newspaper, wood chips, used motor oil, what have you). The combustible material then interacts with the glaze and the pottery itself causing it to turn black and "crazing" (very fine cracking) the surface. There are numerous variations on basic Raku technique, things like horsehair Raku where strands of horsehair (usually long ones from the mane or tail) are draped over the still glowing hot pottery) but regardless of the specifics, exactly how the final piece turns out is always unpredictable, an aspect many people love about Raku; you really never know what you're going to get and every piece is truly unique.Probably more than you wanted to know.......[ATTACH=full]165477[/ATTACH]....An Example of Western Raku........[ATTACH=full]165478[/ATTACH]....Another Example of Western Raku........[ATTACH=full]165486[/ATTACH]....Horsehair Raku</blockquote>