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The ceramic technique known as raku originated in Japan more than 450 years ago. It is believed that the technique came about as a result of frenzied rebuilding following one of the region’s natural disasters. As the story goes, potters hurriedly turning out large inventories of roofing tiles began removing the tiles red-hot from the kiln using long tongs. Because of the high sand content of the clay, the tiles were strong enough to withstand the shock of going from the intense heat of the kiln to the cool air.
Tradition holds that a Japanese potter named Chojiro used the technique to make tea bowls for the Japanese tea master Sen-No-Rikyu. In 1598, the Emperor Hideyoshi bestowed the name Raku upon Chojiro in honor of the vessels he made to the great tea master’s specifications. The term raku is derived from the Chinese character meaning enjoyment or ease. Upon Chojiro’s death, his son continued the raku tradition, and both the name and the technique continue to this day…some 15 generations later.
With the formal recognition of raku potters in the late 16th century, the Japanese potters who used the technique became recognized as artist-potters, differentiating them from general craftsmen.
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