1. The History of Raku

2. Raku began in Japan The first raku pots were made in the 16th century
The man who started raku was a tile maker named Chojiru

3. As legend has it, one day Chojiru dropped a hot bowl from the kiln into a pot of water
The water made the bowl turn a beautiful black color
Chojiru then decided to experiement and make more bowls like the first one

4. The word “raku” means “happiness”, “ease”, or “enjoyment” in Japanese
Once the name raku caught on, Chojiru changed his last name to Raku, and to this day his family is still called the Raku family!

5. The tea ceremony

6. The first raku bowls were for the Japanese tea ceremony

7. What is the tea ceremony?
The tea ceremony is a very special activity in Japan
The process is very precise and can even be considered a form of art

8. What happens in the tea ceremony?
First the guests are given a cup of hot water
After bowing to each guest and preparing the utensils, the host makes the tea
The bowl of tea is passed to each guest and each one takes a single sip
Last each guest gets their own bowl of tea to enjoy

9. The tea bowl
The tea bowl is very important to the tea ceremony and is considered an object of great beauty

10. Tea bowls are called “chawan”
There are many kinds of chawan
Some are short and wide, while others are tall and skinny
Different chawan are used for different seasons and types of tea

12. Paul Soldner
In the 1960’s an artist named Paul Soldner created a new way of making raku

13. While at an art fair, Soldner dropped a hot pot into a pile of leaves
The smoke from the burning leaves changed the color of the pot
Soldner decided to experiment with this new idea, just like Chojiru did 400 years before him!

14. Paul Soldner created a very different kind of raku that is much more colorful than the Japanese raku
He also didn’t make tea bowls, but made sculptures instead

15. Today there are many kinds of raku
Bowls
Sculptures
Animals
Tiles
And much much more!

16. So be creative when you make your raku projects!