The History of Raku

Raku began in Japan The first raku pots were made in the 16th century The man who started raku was a tile maker named Chojiru

As legend has it, one day Chojiru dropped a hot bowl from the kiln into a pot of water The water made the bowl turn a beautiful black color Chojiru then decided to experiement and make more bowls like the first one

The word “raku” means “happiness”, “ease”, or “enjoyment” in Japanese Once the name raku caught on, Chojiru changed his last name to Raku, and to this day his family is still called the Raku family!

The tea ceremony

The first raku bowls were for the Japanese tea ceremony

What is the tea ceremony? The tea ceremony is a very special activity in Japan The process is very precise and can even be considered a form of art

What happens in the tea ceremony? First the guests are given a cup of hot water After bowing to each guest and preparing the utensils, the host makes the tea The bowl of tea is passed to each guest and each one takes a single sip Last each guest gets their own bowl of tea to enjoy

The tea bowl The tea bowl is very important to the tea ceremony and is considered an object of great beauty

Tea bowls are called “chawan” There are many kinds of chawan Some are short and wide, while others are tall and skinny Different chawan are used for different seasons and types of tea

Paul Soldner In the 1960’s an artist named Paul Soldner created a new way of making raku

While at an art fair, Soldner dropped a hot pot into a pile of leaves The smoke from the burning leaves changed the color of the pot Soldner decided to experiment with this new idea, just like Chojiru did 400 years before him!

Paul Soldner created a very different kind of raku that is much more colorful than the Japanese raku He also didn’t make tea bowls, but made sculptures instead

Today there are many kinds of raku Bowls Sculptures Animals Tiles And much much more!

So be creative when you make your raku projects!