Ceramics- Raku Research Worksheet

Our trip will be May 4, 2022

1. Raku is not “food safe” , explain 1-2 reasons why .

It includes a lot of materials in the glaze that are not safe in ingest such as metals
like lead and cadmium

2. Show three examples of raku fired pots that appear to be wheel thrown.

3. How does raku firing differ from our normal “eclectic, low-fire,
oxidation firings” at school?
The pots are heated very quickly and then rapidly cool. The pots are also placed
in materials that catch fire to reduce oxygen.

4. Raku firing was part of the ancient tea ceremony in what country?
Used in Japanese tea ceremonies

5. How is modern Raku different from ancient style Raku? Paul Soldner
helped with some adaptations to our modern process by adding a second
step having to do with reduction. Explain what this “reduction “ means.
The added step is placing the pot into combustible materials to create a reduction
processs that does not occu while fired. Reduction in terms of raku firing is where
oxygen is prevented from interacting with glazes during glaze maturation.

6. List 2-3 materials that might be used in the reduction bin / added to .…
leaves, newspaper, pinneedles and sawdust
7. We will visit several Potters who are helping us with Raku firing at
CASA. What does C. A. S. A. stand for?
Creative Artists Studio Ames

8. Paste in three examples of raku pottery that appear handbuilt- possibly

figures, slabs, or animals, (not wheel made)

9 . Draw two sketches of items you could make for our raku trip (* one
should be handbuild and one should be using the pottery wheel to create
it)