Vaso Raku Universo

"Universo": vase in polychrome clay enamelled using the Raku technique. All production phases are handmade: the preparation of the clays, the forming, the inlay, the enamelling, the Raku cooking, final composition and packaging. The Raku technique was developed in Japan for preparing the tools for the tea ceremony, interpreted as a sacred ritual of welcoming, peace and reconciliation. Following its recent introduction into the Western world, the Raku technique’s fundamental principles have been significantly distorted. The decorative image, with metal reflex and craving (craquelé), the uniqueness of the production process during which the object is pulled out from the oven still incandescent, have turned this technique into an extremely original process. During the Raku production process the object suffers a strong thermic shock. The piece of white or colored clay, after being molded into the desired shape, is cooked first at 950-1000 C. Afterwards, it is decorated, utilizing special oxides and enamels which change differently when brought into contact with air, smoke or water. The Raku ceramics are much appreciated and sought after. Many of them are extraordinary artworks and are displayed in museums and private collections. . “Universo is a design object that requires a complex manual processing, turning it into a unique piece. These photographs are therefore merely indicative: the measures and shapes, reflexes and shades, together with the piece’s details, will always be unique and never equal to each other.