Andie Carpenter on tue 31 jul 01
I would love an education in this.
I have noticed the MFA Boston catalog selling raku dinnerware & what they call
"French Crackle". I had been taught that both raku and crackle surfaces were unsafe
for food service of any kind, but they claim these are
food/oven/microwave/dishwasher safe. Wish I knew if I could be using my crackles
for food service.
In another catalog I noticed pottery being sold as food ware that had a shiny,
metallic surface (not oil spot, more like a metallic raku). I wondered about
leaching, but they seem to be selling lots of it.
The paint-your-own-pottery place where I teach a summer camp class has dozens of
people a day paint underglazes on coffee mugs, bowls, platters, vinegar bottles,
even oven casseroles. These are then dipped in cone 08 clear glaze (which crazes
the first time you pour hot coffee into it) fired, and sent home with them.
Irresponsible? They say it's lead free, so it's safe, crazing or no. Are they ill
educated because they are a small business? I have noticed Starbucks sells coffee
mugs that are low fired, craze the second time you use them...and I haven't heard
of anyone dying.
As much time as I spend worrying about crazing, making sure my crackles aren't on
the inside of anything, and testing glazes for chemical leaching, I wonder if I was
taught by a hypochondriac. EVERYBODY else seems to be selling this stuff -
Any thoughts? Feel free to email me off list.
Andie Carpenter
Handful of Earth Pottery
andie@andie.net
Lorraine Pierce wrote:
> There is much handmade dinnerware with crackled glaze photographed for the
> glossy pages of food magazines these days. And many many people are
> influenced and 'educated' by these beautiful pictures. This ware is used
> both to sell products and illustrate artlcles. It would be extremely
> productive if the new council could 'educate' the designers and publishers
> in the serious error of their ways! This is not said 'tongue in
> cheek', and I imagine many potters would find it hard to turn down a
> commission that gave them this much exposure. Lori Pierce in New Port
> Richey, Fl.
Snail Scott on tue 31 jul 01
At 12:22 PM 7/31/01 -0400, you wrote:
>I have noticed the MFA Boston catalog selling raku dinnerware & what they
call
>"French Crackle". I had been taught that both raku and crackle surfaces
were unsafe
>for food service of any kind, but they claim these are
>food/oven/microwave/dishwasher safe. Wish I knew if I could be using my
crackles
>for food service.
I have also seen a lot of crackle-glaze dinnerware
by industrial manufacturers in major department
stores. My feeling (unsubstantiated by any research)
is that if the underlying clay is well vitrified,
it's probably OK. I'm still a bit leery of crazing
on earthenware, but I don't expect anything growing
in there to kill me. I probably wouldn't seek out a
crazed surface for earthenware, though. I'd definitely
avoid raku, because that clay is usually much less
vitrified than a true earthenware clay fired to its
appropriate maturation point. Many raku bodies are
just stoneware in disguise, underfired for the sake
of the thermal-shock resistance.
-Snail
Richard Jeffery on tue 31 jul 01
"French crackle"?
give 'em a break! I know you got it from us in the grand old U of K, but
I'm getting heartily fed up with the way "French" crops up as a derogatory
term in the English language....
I know, Andie - it's not your fault. This isn't aimed at you - neither am I
on some sort of PC bender. Just one of those buttons that get pressed.
Richard
Bournemouth UK
www.TheEleventhHour.co.uk
-----Original Message-----
From: Ceramic Arts Discussion List [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On
Behalf Of Andie Carpenter
Sent: 31 July 2001 17:23
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Dinnerware: Crackle/Raku
I would love an education in this.
I have noticed the MFA Boston catalog selling raku dinnerware & what they
call
"French Crackle". I had been taught that both raku and crackle surfaces were
unsafe
for food service of any kind, but they claim these are
food/oven/microwave/dishwasher safe. Wish I knew if I could be using my
crackles
for food service.
In another catalog I noticed pottery being sold as food ware that had a
shiny,
metallic surface (not oil spot, more like a metallic raku). I wondered about
leaching, but they seem to be selling lots of it.
The paint-your-own-pottery place where I teach a summer camp class has
dozens of
people a day paint underglazes on coffee mugs, bowls, platters, vinegar
bottles,
even oven casseroles. These are then dipped in cone 08 clear glaze (which
crazes
the first time you pour hot coffee into it) fired, and sent home with them.
Irresponsible? They say it's lead free, so it's safe, crazing or no. Are
they ill
educated because they are a small business? I have noticed Starbucks sells
coffee
mugs that are low fired, craze the second time you use them...and I haven't
heard
of anyone dying.
As much time as I spend worrying about crazing, making sure my crackles
aren't on
the inside of anything, and testing glazes for chemical leaching, I wonder
if I was
taught by a hypochondriac. EVERYBODY else seems to be selling this stuff -
Any thoughts? Feel free to email me off list.
Andie Carpenter
Handful of Earth Pottery
andie@andie.net
Lorraine Pierce wrote:
> There is much handmade dinnerware with crackled glaze photographed for the
> glossy pages of food magazines these days. And many many people are
> influenced and 'educated' by these beautiful pictures. This ware is used
> both to sell products and illustrate artlcles. It would be extremely
> productive if the new council could 'educate' the designers and
publishers
> in the serious error of their ways! This is not said 'tongue in
> cheek', and I imagine many potters would find it hard to turn down a
> commission that gave them this much exposure. Lori Pierce in New Port
> Richey, Fl.
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Janet Kaiser on tue 31 jul 01
Has anyone checked that this commercially produced
dinnerware is actually a true crackle glaze and not an
applied surface decoration of some sort? Given the very
hit-and-miss crackling of most raku glazes, I doubt
that there would be enough constancy for most
manufacturers? Perhaps some one with a microscope could
check before we either condemn or condone any further?
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
----- Original Message -----
> >I have noticed the MFA Boston catalog selling raku
dinnerware & what they call "French Crackle". I had
been taught that both raku and crackle surfaces were
unsafe for food service of any kind, but they claim
these are food/oven/microwave/dishwasher safe.
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