Friday, October 31, 2008

Horsehair Firing


The first pieces I did this semester were Horsehair (and feather). They're two small thrown bowls (Laguna B-Mix), bisque-fired, then coated with Terra Sigilatta. They were fired up to roughly 1500 F in the raku kiln, then pulled out. Horse hair, sugar, and feathers were then applied for about a minute, until the pot becomes too cool. The traces of the burnt materials are left in black carbon.

Tip: Use pliers or tweezers to apply feather.

Note: As the pot becomes too cool, sugar will melt instead of dissolve, leaving a yellow/black blob on your pot. Work quickly!

Result: Fairly easy, nice results. Definitely worth trying again!