Definitions of Raku

In Japan

in loose translation raku means: enjoyment, contentment, pleasure and happiness

the name of the kiln producing Rakuyaki - the raku object

since the 1860's the family name of the masters of the raku kiln

In the U.S.

A firing technique introduced to the United States by Paul Soldner in 1960.

Ceramic wares fired using Paul Soldner's raku firing technique.

glazes for raku firing

A type of kiln used to raku fire.

for people interested in the tea ceremony and its utensils: it also has the same meanings that it does in Japan

Some aspects of wabi

Wabi is a concept/aesthetic which cannot be truly defined. This is shown by the wide ranging "definitions" found in books on raku and the tea ceremony. A brief description of the manifestations of wabi in my ceramics. Some of the aspects of wabi which seem to be agreed upon by most authorities are:

relates to the natural world

earthly elegance

has a feeling that an object with wabi seems to be growing from or decaying back into nature

is artistically quiet, not harsh or jarring

is peaceful and unimposing

is subtle-the longer you contemplate an object the more nuances you will discover.

understated elegance

Some aspects of sabi

Serenty

Melancholy

Loneliness

Sabi is a quality of having age or history

Sabi can be an irregularity or flaw such as a chip, crack or discoloration caused by age or use.

Some authors tie it so closely with wabi that they talk of wabi-sabi as a single concept.

I have been told that some Japanese ceramists refer to their tea bowls as instant antiques.

Crackle glazes are one of the most common ways to give a piece sabi.

In this age of machine made "perfection" the irregularities of form caused by hand building and carving make the piece seem to have been made in an earlier "more primitive age".