The Superheated Glory of RAKU

Give to the fire ceramic ware
And wait–the ware will glisten–
Uplift the drum; grip tongs with care;
Now grasp; place; burn; imprison
The ware in what were ‘garbage’ cans–
Lo! They contain flamed treasure!
Enjoy the smoky night–and, fans,
Thanks for the shared, pure pleasure.

The process as practiced at Phoenix College in the mid-2000s involved preheating raku-glazed ware in an old open-topped kiln, placing the ware where a fifty-five-gallon drum could be lowered to contain it, gas-firing the ware till it looked through the peephole as if it were sweating, raising the drum, and pulling the ware out with tongs and placing it in metal trash cans containing combustible material. The material would catch fire and then the trash can lids would be slammed down, trapping the smoke within. A couple of hours of that and you’d smell like you’d been in a poker room full of cigar smokers. You’d be tired, hot and probably singed a little. You’d feel Glorious.