Horsehair and Feather Raku

This is arguably the most common form of Raku pottery and one you may have seen on programs like The Great Pottery Throw Down on Channel 4 (UK).

The technique begins with a special type of Raku clay which is heavily grogged, this means it contains a lot of coarse material to reduce clay shrinkage and prevent the pot exploding with thermal shock. There is a good article here if you want to know more about grog.

The Horsehair and feather pots I make start with a type of clay called Ashraf Hanna, they are formed into the shape I require on the potters wheel, and left to dry for about 7-14 days. Once dry ('leather hard') the pot is fired in an electric kiln to 980 degrees Centigrade. This process is known as a 'Bisque fire' and turns the pot into ceramic so instead of crumbling it would now smash if you dropped it. The Raku firing is the next step. The pot is placed into a gas fired kiln and slowly heated to about 800 degrees Centigrade for about 45 minutes to an hour.

When the pot reaches the required temperature it is removed from the kiln and placed onto a fireproof surface where feathers and horsehair are carefully applied to its surface, the heat the pot has retained from the kiln burns the feather and horsehair into the surface and leaves the feather pattern. Once cool, the pot is washed, and then waxed to give it a glossy look.