Wood Fired Pottery • Insteading

Humans have been enamoured of wood fired ceramics for thousands of years. Yet since the invention of electric and gas kilns, wood firing was pushed aside by many. Fortunately the unique beauty of wood fired pottery is again becoming a highly appreciated art form throughout the world. (The Japanese have always held wood fired ceramics in high esteem.)

Wood kilns can not only produce temperatures of 1400°C (2,500 °F), wood fires also produce fly ash and volatile salts. This complex interaction of ash, salts, minerals in the clay and the flame itself are what give wood fired pots their unique characteristics. Wood ash might lightly settle on a piece during the firing, or accumulate to the point where the ash drips down the sides of a pot, or the ash might even accumulate around the pot until it is completely submerged. Placement of pieces within the kiln also greatly affects the pottery’s final appearance, pieces closer to the fire may become immersed in embers and ash, while those further from the flame may only be lightly touched by ash effects and salt.

Some Fine Examples of Wood Fired Ceramics

Wood fired vase by Craig Edwards.
The flame drops ash and heat over the clay surface leaving unique marks.
woodfiredpottery.blogspot.com

Anagama fired jar by Joe Bruhin Ceramics.
This work was fired 10 days in an anagama kiln, it has a natural ash glaze, no glaze is applied.
etsy.com

Medium Jar by Steve Sauer.
18″d x 18 1/2″ h
theislandgallery.net

Wood fired vase by Cynthia McDowell.
www.earthfired.com

A wood fired tea pot from Anthony Gaudino, from the 51st firing of the Santatsugama (Three Dragon Kiln), Seabeck, Washington. $190. theislandgallery.net

This wood fired piece is mostly hand built. It is one in a series of pieces inspired by Neolithic Chinese forms from about 4,000 years ago. It has a thin wash of a shino type glaze, with some small dots of a chrome green glaze. It stands about 21 cm tall. By Steve Irwin. steveirvine.com

Wood fired cup with Terra Sigillata. 4x4x5.
By Shawn O’Connor, Maine.
akardesign.com

Wood fired plate by Simon Levin. Simon fell in love with wood fire pottery to such an extent, it overwhelmed his original aspirations for a legal career. Choosing instead he became an artist devoted to capturing the imprint of flame in his work. www.anagama-west.com

Wood fired Stoneware By Lucien KoonceBy Lucien Koonce.
Yunomi (N10G04), 2010.
Hand carved and hollowed out (kurinuki technique) stoneware clay, shino (oni) glaze, natural ash glaze; wood fired (C. Gustin anagama) on sea shells for 4 days to c/12+. (Private Collection: USA).
lucienkoonce.com

Guinomi (N13G02), 2013
Porcelaneous Stoneware
Hand carved and hollowed (kurinuki technique) stoneware clay, shino glaze, Champy black glaze, and natural ash glaze; wood fired on sea shells for five days to c/12+. By Lucien Koonce. lucienkoonce.com

Wheel thrown and hand textured.
Cone 10 Porcelain. Wood fired.
Mark Kronfuss Ceramics. etsy.com

East Fork Pottery was founded in 2010 by Alexander Matisse & was joined by John Vigeland in 2013. We make a full range of functional and sculptural ceramics and fire in a large, wood-burning kiln. Though we each make our own work, we share materials, vocabularies, aesthetic values and high standards of quality. North Carolina. eastforkpottery.com