raku (Japanese)

Traditional raku or Japanese raku is a low-fired glazed pottery by a direct process that involved putting the pots into and removing them from a red-hot kiln. The potter Chojiro is credited with being the first to produce raku ware in 1580. The term raku is translated as “enjoyment” or “ease.” From The Potters Dictionary of Materials and Techniques, by Frank and Janet Hamer. See Western raku.