Raku and Japan.

What today is known as Raku Firing, a ceramic technique was founded in Japan by Raku Chojiro over 450 years ago. This same family through some 15 generations is still producing Raku Pottery and there is a museum in Japan featuring their works.

The Emperor at the time commissioned Raku Chojiro to produce a special vessel for a tea ceremony for the Zen Buddhist Masters.  Raku pottery was carefully chosen as it paralleled the philosophy of the Zen Buddhist, unpretentious, natural and spiritual. The Buddhist Masters believe that the sprit of the maker is embodied in the pottery. The underside of the pottery is left unglazed and natural which makes a connection between the makers spirit and that of the owner.

Raku and Africa.

About 20 years ago a South African Lorraine Marinkowitz started experimenting in the production of Raku beads. Influenced by the natural beauty of the wild life in South Africa she expanded her creative talents to producing animals and birds. Color also plays a large role in African life, the Ndebele tribe paint their houses in geometric shapes with bright colors. Although the manufacturing process lends it's self to earth tones only, Lorraine developed a technique to achieve bright geometric shapes which completes the connection between the wild life and it's people. Her wonderful pieces are known as RakuArt and are treasured by collectors through the world.

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