FINE ART RAKU POTTERY VASE Artist- Nancy Wright Start Price USD 235.00 Current Price USD 235.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price USD 240.00 Reserve Price - Start Time Saturday, July 19, 2008 End Time Saturday, July 26, 2008 Location Goose Creek, South Carolina See more about 'FINE ART RAKU POTTERY VASE Artist- Nancy Wright' Description   Design Copyright© protected The Four Elements Pottery True Artisans create expression from their own original thoughts. My work is all unique and comes from my expression. I come up with the designs, forms and glazing myself in my studio. If any other piece you see is similar to my work but was not signed and stamped by me, it is a copy and is obviously devalued.  Everything you see listed by me is Unique. I take great pride in what I do ..... Rest assured if you buy a piece from me, it is an original. I guarantee it. All my work is Gallery Quality and is currently in several galleries and shops across the US.   I create exclusively Raku which loosely translated from Japanese means " enjoyment, leisure, unburdened, contented" and was originally associated with the Zen tea ceremony. A more in-depth history is located below.   Vessel description: This gorgeous lidded piece was wheel thrown, glazed in blue and gold and copper, then Raku fired. The lid was hand-sculpted. This piece is a beauty.   This piece measures 16 inches in height and 7 inches in width at its widest point. While some pieces I create are similar, none will ever be molded.  Each piece is signed by me, stamped, and dated. If more photos are desired, please do not hesitate to e-mail me... I ship UPS ground shipping (each work is wrapped in bubble wrap, double boxed with new boxes, and cushioned with styrofoam peanuts to insure it's safe arrival, as well as insured with the carrier) Raku is a form of Japanese pottery. According to archeological evidence, Japanese pottery is the earliest in the World, dating back to the 11th millenium BC, marking the beginning of the Jomon period. From the beginning of the following Yayoi period around 300BC, with the introduction of continental technologies like the cultivation of rice, Japanese pottery was heavily influenced by Chinese. However, people came to develop styles particular to Japan. Nowadays, there are many types of Japanese pottery. Each area has its own unique style. The modern history of Japanese pottery is closely related to that of the tea ceremony. The name for this type of firing is taken from the Japanese family that traditionally produces the ware. The name Raku was bestowed on 16th century Japanese potter Chojiro by the great Japanese tea master Sen-No-Rikyu Sen no Rikyu (1522 - 1591) is considered the most profound influence on the Japanese tea ceremony. A man of simple taste, he had a cultivated and disciplined lifestyle and defined the term wabi cha by emphasizing simplicity, rusticness and other humble qualities in the tea ceremony. His first documented name was Yoshiro. Later his name was Soueki. In 1585 the Emperor Ogimachi ranked him a koji, which was a lowest rank of Buddhist hierarchy who hadn't yet become a priest but a pious faithful Buddhist, and from that time he was known as Sen no Rikyu Koji. In the below we call him Rikyu in general for simplicity. ..... After he began making tea bowls to the tea master's specifications. The name as well as the ceramic style has been passed down through the family to the present. Raku is typically biscuit fired at 900°C (1650°F) and glaze fired (the final firing) between 800-1000°C (1450-1800°F). It's known for it's unpredictability, particularly when reduction fired, and can be returned to the kiln to re-oxidize, if the effects of a reduction firing are not to the potters satisfaction. The firing times for Rakuware are short, perhaps three hours total, as opposed to up to 16 hours for stoneware. The time take in much shorter, mostly due to the much more rapid temperature changes during the process. As a result of these, clays used for Rakuware must be able to cope with large thermal stresses. The usual way of dealing with this is to incorporate a lot of sand, or 'grog', into the clay, before forming. Because of this, it is not advised to place liquids inside a vessel unless waterproofed. ©Copyright protected The Four Elements Pottery ©Copyright protected The Four Elements Pottery ©Copyright protected The Four Elements Pottery Place a Bid!