How Hanasennin Made Raku Tea Bowls

1. 1

   Finding the clay

   For Hanasennin, making began with seeking out the clay himself. His starting material was blue clay found in the area around Fujisawa.

2. 2

   Building the kiln

   Hanasennin built his own wood-fired kiln, designed to load and draw each bowl from the side for its final firing. Built with refractory brick and protected by a shelter, it was adapted to his particular way of working.

3. 3

   Preparing the firewood

   Seasoned 1–2 years

   Various woods were used for the bisque firing, while red pine was reserved for the final firing. After splitting, the pine was seasoned for one to two years and kept in a dedicated woodshed.

4. 4

   Preparing the clay

   1. Dry the gathered raw clay thoroughly in the sun.
   2. Place small amounts of the dried clay in a stainless-steel bowl and crush them with a rounded stone.
   3. Pass the crushed clay through a sieve to produce an even powder.
   4. Mix the powdered clay on a board with approximately 10–20% kibushi clay.
   5. Shape the mixture into a ring resembling the caldera of Mount Aso, then add small amounts of water at the centre.
   6. Adjust the moisture gradually while kneading until the desired softness is reached.
   7. Seal the prepared clay in a bag and leave it to rest in a cool, dark place.

   The working consistency was described as about as soft as an earlobe. The proportion of kibushi clay and the amount of water were adjusted to the condition of each batch of local clay.

5. 5

   Forming on the palms

   Approx. 10 min per bowlNo second working

   Using neither a potter's wheel nor a forming table, Hanasennin shaped each bowl entirely on his palms, completing the attached foot ring in approximately ten minutes.

   Once the form had risen, he did not return to reshape it. The bowl was resolved in one continuous act, guided by the judgement of that moment.

   The angle of the hands, gravity and the movement of the clay had to be read at the same time. Hanasennin regarded this as an embodied practice that could not be conveyed by written instructions alone.

6. 6

   Finishing

   Indoor drying overnightFinishing over 2–3 days

   The formed bowl was left to dry indoors overnight, then carved and finished over the following two or three days. Each piece was adjusted as the clay dried and set aside until enough bowls were ready for bisque firing.

7. 7

   Bisque firing

   About 30 bowls6–9 hoursRest 24+ hours

   Approximately thirty bowls were bisque-fired at a time. Hanasennin placed particular importance on raising the kiln temperature gradually and watching the condition of the fire.

   Gentle heating at the firemouth, the intermediate stage and the main stage each lasted two to three hours. At every stage, avoiding overfiring was essential.

   When the kiln interior appeared to glow a muted red through the spy hole, firing continued for another twenty to thirty minutes. The kiln was then left for at least twenty-four hours before the bowls were removed.

8. 8

   Final firing

   Recorded: Red Raku approx. 900°CRecorded: Black Raku approx. 1,000°C10–12 min per bowlQuenched in water

   On a clear winter day, the kiln was lit before dawn and brought to final-firing condition over approximately eight hours. These temperatures and times are specific working records for Hanasennin's kiln and glazes.

   As the final firing approached, the glaze was applied in several thin coats and warmed above the kiln to remove moisture.

   Each bowl was placed in the kiln with iron firing tongs. Hanasennin watched the glaze through the spy hole to judge when to draw it. After approximately ten to twelve minutes, the bowl was removed and quenched in water held in an iron container, bringing out the colour of the glaze.

   A bowl drawn directly from the kiln remains dangerously hot. It must never be touched with bare hands until it has cooled fully.

Rather than thinking it over,
try it in practice.