These sweet little raku pumpkins were created by our team here at Beale Pottery. This year we created 166 pumpkins to share with everyone at our Rhythm + Raku event. This handful is all that’s left, and we finished them up this weekend - which we believe was one of our last windows in the year to fire up the raku kilns. Snag yours before they’re gone!
When Eric and I met, around 24 years ago now… we absolutely loved doing raku together. There is no way to predict how these pieces will look in the end due to so many variants in the process. It’s neat to see what happens, and playing with a live flame (in a safe way) is pretty exciting too. :)
Each pumpkin is one-of-a-kind. From the coloring to the carved faces you’ll be gettin a uniquely created piece of art.
The American raku process originated in the mid-20th century, inspired by the traditional Japanese raku technique used for tea ceremony wares. In Japan, raku firing involved removing pottery from the kiln while red-hot and allowing it to cool in the open air. American artists adapted this method by introducing post-firing reduction techniques—placing hot pieces into combustible materials like sawdust, leaves, or newspaper to create unique surface effects and crackling patterns. This adaptation led to a more experimental and expressive form of raku, emphasizing spontaneity and texture. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, American ceramists such as Paul Soldner helped popularize this approach, transforming raku into a versatile and popular form of studio pottery across the United States.
Sizes vary slightly, but most are about 5-6” in diameter. The bottom of each pumpkin is completely open so that you can place a LED candle under it, and illuminate the face on your little guy. Many of our customers have started a collection of these sweet faces. :)
These sweet little raku pumpkins were created by our team here at Beale Pottery. This year we created 166 pumpkins to share with everyone at our Rhythm + Raku event. This handful is all that’s left, and we finished them up this weekend - which we believe was one of our last windows in the year to fire up the raku kilns. Snag yours before they’re gone!
When Eric and I met, around 24 years ago now… we absolutely loved doing raku together. There is no way to predict how these pieces will look in the end due to so many variants in the process. It’s neat to see what happens, and playing with a live flame (in a safe way) is pretty exciting too. :)
Each pumpkin is one-of-a-kind. From the coloring to the carved faces you’ll be gettin a uniquely created piece of art.
The American raku process originated in the mid-20th century, inspired by the traditional Japanese raku technique used for tea ceremony wares. In Japan, raku firing involved removing pottery from the kiln while red-hot and allowing it to cool in the open air. American artists adapted this method by introducing post-firing reduction techniques—placing hot pieces into combustible materials like sawdust, leaves, or newspaper to create unique surface effects and crackling patterns. This adaptation led to a more experimental and expressive form of raku, emphasizing spontaneity and texture. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, American ceramists such as Paul Soldner helped popularize this approach, transforming raku into a versatile and popular form of studio pottery across the United States.
Sizes vary slightly, but most are about 5-6” in diameter. The bottom of each pumpkin is completely open so that you can place a LED candle under it, and illuminate the face on your little guy. Many of our customers have started a collection of these sweet faces. :)
