Horse hair raku

Horse hair Vase by Swanica Ligtenberg - Judge's Special Award Mashiko Ceramic Competition, Mashiko, Japan 2006

A method of decorating pottery through the application of horse hair and other dry carbonaceous material to the heated ware. The burning carbonaceous material creates smoke patterns and carbon trails on the surface of the heated ware that remain as decoration after the ware cools.

Although the ware preparation techniques are similar to Pit fired pottery and other primitive firing techniques, it is generally considered an alternative form of Western Style Raku ware, because it uses Western Style Raku kilns, firing techniques, and tools.

Process

Horse Hair Raku usually utilizes burnishing and/or Terra sigillata techniques to prepare the unglazed surface before bisque firing. Unglazed prepared bisque ware is heated using raku kilns, then removed from the kiln with metal raku tools, while still extremely hot.

The decorating is performed with the ware temperature between 900F and 1300F. Lower temperatures do not effectively combust the horse hair or other materials, while higher temperatures cause the carbon makings burn off after a few seconds leaving no lasting decorative trace.

Results

Strands of horse hair laid across hot ware leave a wandering linear smoke design on the surface. Sugar sprinkled on the hot surface leaves scattered spotted smoke marks. Feathers applied to the hot surface give dark feather shaped silhouettes with rising smokey shadows.

Examples

Techniques involved in making and firing the horsehair raku