Richard J Mahaffey on sat 27 dec 03
Mel, Lee,
I heard way back when that the technique that the "Raku" family used
was the same one used by Korean roof tile makers. The story goes that
the Korean roof tile makers take a slab of clay and drape it over their
thigh this gives it the natural curve and it tapers toward the knee so
that one will go over the other. They then dry them and fire the tiles
and remove them hot from the kiln with tongs. (I have seen lots of
Blue roof tiles in Japan, but I have seen a lot more black tiles, in
fact I was crazy enough to bring home a big box of them. Anyway that
is the story that I have heard.) Somehow the leap was made from
firing tiles "raku style" and using a lead glaze and making Tea ware
with the same firing technique.
An aside, I Japan I have heard that other then the "Raku" family and
the Ohi family, only "hobby potters" do raku. So when Japanese pottery
students visit us at Tacoma Community College they are very keen to
try American Raku. See, when they are in the US they are somewhat free
from the expectations and constraints that they live with in Japan.
For what it is worth,
YMMV
Rick Mahaffey
Tacoma, Washington, USA
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