Some 500 years ago, a quick firing process developed in Japan as a result of a natural disaster. Korean artisans, hired to manufacture bartiles for the roofs of an earthquake devastated city, found that the clay pieces could be placed directly into a hot kiln (1500 degrees F) and removed as soon as the glaze had melted. This discovery not only enabled the craftsmen to speed up their manufacture of the tiles but opened the door to an entirely new tradition among Japanese potters.
Subsequently, the ancient Japanese tea ceremony soon encompassed the making of vessels in the performance of this ritual. Thus, "Raku," a new tea ceremony, was born.
The term is also used as the name of the firing process. As the pot is removed from the kiln, it is immersed in leaves, pine needles, or paper to reduce the atmosphere around the glowing form, giving an iridescence to the glaze and forcing black smoke into the thousands of cracks formed in the glaze as it cools. The unique one of a kind coloration and iridescence of the beads provide many options for my jewelry designs invoking both contemporary and ancient images and themes.
Silver Birds Jewelry is pleased to create our jewelry with the stunning one of a kind pottery beads created by Stan Roberts Ceramics.