The Raku pots you see here are the result of a Japanese firing process, a tradition dating back over 400 years. Prior to the glaze firing, pieces have been bisqued in an electric kiln and then glazed in an assortment of chemicals and minerals. The pieces are loaded into a small natural gas fired kiln and brought up to temperatures reaching approximately 1900 degrees.      The kiln is then opened up and the pieces are removed with tongs, while still glowing hot. Immediately, the pieces are placed into the reduction chamber (I use large galvanized steel garbage cans with tightly fitting lids) with any assortment of organic flammable materials such as sawdust, mulch hay, paper, or leaves. This process of post-firing into the reduction chamber causes the pieces to catch fire immediately to its surrounding combustibles, smoldering the piece for up to an hour's time. During this process, copper lusters and other metals in the glaze appear on the surface of the pots.      After an hour of reduction, the lids of the "reduction chamber" are removed and the pieces are removed and quenched and submerged with water (either into large buckets filled with water or sprayed on the surface with a water bottle). Pieces cool down immediately so that you could actually hold them in your hands only an hour after coming out of the kiln. This thermal shock from such a high temperature to a cool temperature causes small cracks on the surface.