Wood fired sake cup.
Details:
~ Tenmoku glaze inside, bare outside
Each wood fired pot is truly unique and what makes this one special is tea dust crystals along the inside rim of the cup and on the inside bottom. The glaze breaks nicely along the inside rim to reveal the white porcelain beneath. There is a kiss of hares fur (streaking) in one spot along inside wall. Tea dust crystals accentuate the dark molasses color of the tenmoku glaze on the inside bottom.
My process:
I make this sake cup on the potter's wheel and once the rim is dry enough to support itself, I turn it over and carve this bottom freehand. This spontaneous and gestural way of working with the moist clay embraces the wabi sabi tradition (acceptance of transience and imperfection) I enjoy working in.
Once the pot is completely dry, it is bisque fired, then a tenmoku glaze is applied to the inside of the cup and the outside is left bare for the anagama kiln magic to happen. The kiln is fired with wood for 5 days, and when it finished it is closed up and left to cool for one week.
Wood ash when heated at high temperatures becomes a glaze, flames in the wood fire kiln allow flashing and wood ash to be deposited on to the outside of cup making each piece truly unique and one of a kind.
This sake cup was fired the week of Memorial Day 2022 in the Big Magic Anagama in Springhill, Kansas.