History

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What is Raku?

History

Raku Pottery was developed in Japan over 400 years ago as the Ceremonial Tea Ware of the Zen Buddhist Masters. It was preferred by the Masters because of its humility, its tasteful unpretentiousness, its simple naturalness, and its deliberate avoidance of luxury...all very intrinsic to the Zen philosophy.
Seldom watertight, Raku is actually a very poor choice for a casserole or a flower vase; it is pottery apart from utility or function. Raku must be approached with a different criterion in mind, like a painting or a symphony. According to the Zen Masters, its elusive, subtle, yet vigorous beauty is Raku's only worth. It is valued because it is believed that the Spirit of the Maker is embodied in the form and revealed at the foot, which is traditionally left naked (unglazed). It is believed that if we are alert to ourselves, in contemplating the Raku form, we will recognize in it our own Spirit and Meaning.

   

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