Raku Harbour Seal, Balance Pose

I sculpted this harbour seal from a specially grogged clay that can stand up to the intense thermal shock of Raku firing, then hand painted it in white with black and grey spots and speckles. The Raku process introduced carbon ash and crackle to give the surface finish extra character. Seals relax in this pose when they are feeling safe and secure.

dimensions 9” long x 3” wide x 5” tall

What is North American Raku?

Raku is wild. After an initial bisque firing in a standard electric kiln, I painted this piece using underglazes, then applied a clear crackle glaze on the exterior. Then we fired the pieces again to 1870 degrees Fahrenheit, and removed them directly from the kiln --glowing hot-- with tongs to place them into a nest of paper combustibles inside a sealed metal chamber. The pieces are then cold shocked with water while still hot to further develop the subtle tones and textures.

Raku is usually more expensive than traditionally glazed ceramics because of the high likelyhood of thermal shock and breakage. Many pieces are lost to this process, making the resulting gems that we pull from the literal ashes all the more special, and completely one of a kind.