​ALTERNATIVE FIRING PROCESS PART 1
SAGGAR, HORSE HAIR & BLACK ON BLACK

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Saggar

A Saggar is a container surrounding the ceramic ware as it is being fired in the kiln. Traditionally, saggars are made of clay. The purpose of the saggar is to provide an environment for fuming.  Various materials such as straw, sawdust, wood, magazine pages, copper or brass wire, salt, copper carbonate, iron oxide, cobalt carbonate are placed in the saggar or tied to the piece. At the firing temperature, these create a “fuming” atmosphere and the chemicals are transferred to the surface of the clay to form random and serendipitous patterns and designs of color.  The color range is black, grey, pink, maroon, orange, blue, green, and other colors depending on what chemicals are used in the saggar. Other types of saggars are aluminum foil, popcorn tins and clay dipped paper. These pots are not food-safe or water-tight.

Horse Hair

Horse Hair Pottery is made from white or red stoneware clay that has been burnished and bisque fired to a lower than usual temperature, leaving the fired clay body quite porous, enabling it to absorb the carbon from burning hair.  Individual strands of horsehair, preferably from the tail, are laid against the hot surface.  An ash forms and a small deposit of carbon and smoke are absorbed into the clay surface, leaving a permanent trace of the horsehair. Feathers and Sugar can be used in the same way.  They add additional interest to the piece of pottery.  The smooth shiny surface of the pottery is from hand burnishing at the leather hard stage and a coat of buffed wax.  No two pieces are alike.  These posts are not food-safe or water-tight. 
 I do special orders.  Please contact me. for details.

Black on Black

Black on Black Pottery is made with low fire clay.  It is formed and burnished as it is drying.  It can be burnished up to 5 times to give its high gloss.  It is then carved and/or slips applied. This makes the matte finishes on the pottery. Once thoroughly dried it is coated in powdered graphite and lamp oil mixture.  The surface is wiped and the pottery in placed in a saggar with a piece of willow bark and fired in an open fire or a raku kiln. After cooling it is buffed with a soft cloth.  These pots are not food-safe or water-tight.