Moon bowls – raku pottery

Description

Stunning raku-fired moon bowls, each with a line from Chris’s poetry. You can choose from the options below. The glazes are gentle yet striking at the same time and these bowls are crying out to be held.

They are 11cm diameter and 6cm deep.

Words and outside colour –

Comes a time when daylights must be brighter – speckled white

And let the earth not forget to forgive – soft green

I am light inside light, I am soul inside soul – soft red

Know you were loved and that you loved too – coppers and greens

And the best of me finds the best of you – light coppery greens

I asked the wind and it whispered – soft red

How we make our moon pots

These moon bowls are made from thin slabs of grogged clay, cut into circles and shaped inside moulds. Once dry enough to handle, two of these cup shapes are joined to form the moon bowl. The circle then cut from the top becomes the foot of the bowl, giving them a lovely symmetry. Once a little drier again, the poetry is added, carefully choosing a few words from Chris’s poetry.

They are out to dry further, then fired in the electric kiln. Underglaze is used to pick out the wording and glaze added to bring drama. They are then fired in a raku (meaning ‘easy’ in Japanese!) kiln, a process by which a pot is heated quickly to around 1000 degrees using a gas burner, then placed in a reduction bin (a sealed metal bin containing combustible material.) By controlling the amount of oxygen reaching the glazes, the potter can produce a range of different colours  (although much of this is also down to chance!)

‘Seatree elemental’ refers to a range of ceramics using rough clays and alternative firing techniques, such as pit firing or raku firing. All pieces are hand built and unique and the poems chosen for seatree elemental are often more challenging in nature, as this work has emerged as a way for us to explore our relationship to all that is broken and all that is beautiful in this world shadowed by climate injustice. Just like our other work, you will see a colour spectrum inspired by the wild western fringe of Scotland.

This bowl is perfect for anyone who loves ceramics with meaning.