Why Raku Pottery Is Removed From the Kiln While Glowing

Normal pottery cools down very slowly inside the kiln. If you open the door too soon, the clay usually shatters. Raku pottery breaks all those rules. You actually take the pot out when it is still glowing red-hot.

Pulling The Glowing Clay

A potter wears thick welding gloves and uses long metal tongs. They open the kiln while the temperature inside is around 1,800 degrees. Then they grab the glowing piece of pottery and pull it straight out into the cold air.

This sudden drop in temperature causes a massive shock to the piece. The glaze on the outside instantly shrinks and cracks. You can actually hear it pinging and popping as it hits the open air.

Smothering The Fire

But here is the problem. If you just let it cool in the open air, the colors look flat. So the potter immediately drops the glowing hot pot into a metal trash can. The can is filled with newspaper, dried leaves, or sawdust.

The heat from the clay instantly sets the paper on fire. Then the potter jams a tight lid onto the can. This traps the fire inside with the pottery.

Forcing The Smoke

The fire inside the closed can quickly runs out of oxygen. This creates a ton of thick smoke. The heavy smoke rushes directly into all the cracks that just formed in the glaze. It turns the bare clay completely black.

The lack of oxygen also forces a chemical reaction in the glaze itself. It pulls oxygen directly from the metal compounds painted on the pot. And that is why it matters. This harsh, smoky process leaves behind bright metallic colors like flashed copper or gold. You never really know what the pot will look like until you wash the soot off.