Post #461507 by MadDogMike on Sat, Jun 13, 2009 6:11 PM

Thanks for the encouragement guys. Raku and smoke firing are actually 2 different critters. Raku ware is glazed, put into the kiln until the glaze fuses then pulled out and placed in a closed container full of organic material (grass, paper, leaves, etc) Raku is characterized by cracks in the glaze that absorb the black carbon from the burning organic matter. Since the fire is snuffed out by closing the lid, the resultant reduction atmosphere (no oxygen) sometimes causes a metallic or iridescent sheen to the glaze. MP has done some awesome Raku pieces, his Green Marq is a classic example

Smoke firing uses bisqued but unglazed ceramic, usually burnished when the clay is leather hard. It is put in a barrel or pit with organic materials and/or chemicals and lit on fire. The porous clay absorbs the smoke in swirls and flashes. Different organic materials and/or chemicals leave different colored marks on the ceramic.