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Taking Care of Your Pots

All of our stoneware and porcelain pots are oven and dishwasher safe.
For use in microwave, please consult your manufacturer's manual for instructions.
Do not place directly on hot element or warming tray.
Casseroles should be 3/4 full before placing in the oven.
When taking from freezer, allow to reach room temperature before placing in oven.
Enjoy your pots!

Raku

"Raku is a pottery technique that has its origins in 16th century Japan. We are pretty sure that it was developed by Korean potters under Japanese rule but the exact circumstances of its development and in what context it was discovered is a mystery." (Source: http://www.astbury.org/pottery/nrakufaq.htm#R0)
Pieces made from clay are fired in an outdoor kiln only until the glazes melt, then they are removed with tongs to a combustible material in an enclosed chamber. The smoke carbonizes the clay and changes the glazes. The finished glaze usually has the characteristic crackle or rough surface.
RAKU vessels are not waterproof and they should not be put in the dishwasher or any type of oven.
Enjoy your Raku pot as much as the maker has enjoyed the process!

Smoked Fire Pottery

Smoke firing is a simple method of firing pottery in which smoke becomes an integral part of the surface decoration.
Inspiration has been drawn from "primitive" firing traditions still used today in many parts of the world.
Examples of smoke firing can be found in the Neolithic Period (7000 - 3000B.C.)
To prevent damage during the heating and cooling process, a form with a constant wall thickness is skillfully constructed.
Some pieces are covered with a layer of fine clay and burnished, others reveal the raw clay surface.
The pottery is bisqued to 1000°C.
Pieces are covered with a variety of organic materials and placed in a bonfire.
No glaze is used.
During the firing, a blackening or carbonization occurs on the pottery surface.
Because smoke fired pottery is fragile and porous, it is decorative and not designed to be used with food.

Crystalline Glazes

"Crystalline glazes were first achieved by the Chinese during the Sung Dynasty, then "rediscovered" by Europeans during the 19th century. They require special glaze formulations, and exacting firing profiles. Slight variations in any of the components involved will affect the success of a firing.
The shapes visible in the glaze are zinc silicate crystals. The crystal nuclei form during the firing as the temperature climbs. Growth of the crystal occurs during a controlled slow cooling and holding process.

Crystalline glazes are extremely fluid and have the tendency to flow off the vessel during the firing. Consequently, pieces are fired on pedestals that have been placed in individually constructed catch basins in the kiln. The vessel becomes fused to the pedestal during the firing process and the two must be separated after cooling. The excess glaze and all ensuing sharp edges are then ground smooth.

Crystal glazes are a constant challenge for the potter and at times the failures may outnumber the triumphs. It is the reward of removing a successful piece from the kiln that keeps the crystalline potter addicted to that quest - the search for those perfect circumstances that will grow the perfect crystal.