Raku originated in Japan.

It has been an integral
part of the Zen Buddhist
tea ceremony for centuries.

Raku symbolizes nature:

running water,
rough stone,
the silhouette of a mountain crest.

Raku is shaped by hand

and shows traces of the tools
and the process that create it.

The firing method,

using a wood-burning kiln,
is traditional
and centuries-old.

The red-hot ceramics

are taken out of the kiln with tongs
and plunged into ice-cold water;
pieces which survive this process
are laced with cracks.

Connoisseurs treasure these highly,

as well as the soft tone produced
by striking the raku object
with a gentle tap.