raku

Soft, freely hand-modelled earthenware pottery fired quickly to red-hot temperatures and then taken out of the kiln to cool down and reduce quickly. Partly covered with lead glaze, with its deep, subtly changing colours, raku ware was first made in the late 16th century in Kyoto, Japan.

Raku ware was used exclusively for the tea ceremony. The bowls are usually black but sometimes red or white. The style has been widely imitated in Japan and adopted by Western potters. The name is also applied to a method of firing pots used extensively in Japan since the 18th century, and more recently in the USA and Britain.