Pagasari Chawan

[tjkoko]

More photos:

[Chip]

... that's crazzzzy, dude.

Beautiful too.

[tjkoko]

I don't know anything about ceramic quality other than the visual appeal. My thinking on its heft is that the material may contains some weighty metal ore like iron or even aluminum. Still, it's beautiful and it's all mine.

[JBaymore]

Crazing and crackle are just as Chip describes. If you want it...... it is an asset. If you don't want it, it is a defect.

Crazing in high fire work actualy does go down into the body interface layer. So the cracks in the glass extend into the zone where ther is a bit of mingling of the body and the glaze. This unfortunately does weaken the piece...... whether it is "asset" or "defect".

In low fired work, the glaze layer is sort of sitting on top of the body. It is not bound to the clay as well as in high fired work. There is litle interface layer. So the crazing does not usually cause a crack to extend into the body itself.

These are of course "micro cracks" we are talking about.


There is no pure iron or aluminum in there. Likely the weight is from thick potting of the body combined with what looks like a thick glass layer on top. Probably 90 percent of that object by weight is alumina and silica (Al2O3 and SiO2).

best,

.............john

[tjkoko]

...
There is no pure iron or aluminum in there. Likely the weight is from thick potting of the body combined with what looks like a thick glass layer on top. Probably 90 percent of that object by weight is alumina and silica (Al2O3 and SiO2).

best,

.............john

As I stated previously, ORE either of iron or aluminum and not the pure stuff.

Best,
-T

[JBaymore]

Nope... no "ore". Wouldn't be in a ceramic piece. The chemistry doesn't work that way.

best,

..........john

[tjkoko]

Nope... no "ore". Wouldn't be in a ceramic piece. The chemistry doesn't work that way.

best,

..........john

Please explain as I know nothing of pottery's constituents. Can't the various clays include ores as well?

[tjkoko]

I first brush-clean with hot tap water and a soft brush. Then I submerge in water and slowly heat to just approaching simmer. Then I remove from heat and allow to cool for about 3 or 4 hours. I empty the water and rinse thoroughly. Then I check it by adding boiling water and smelling for odor in the steam. I might do this 2 or 3 times. If ash odor (which smells like clay dust to me) remains at this point as it has with both my pags, then I submerge in tap water and let soak for 12 to 24 hour periods until the odor has abated (after each soak I empty and rinse thoroughly); the pags I have needed to soak in this manner for approximately 1 week. Then a couple of matcha sessions and they were great. I suspect that many raku chawan might have need of thorough soaking treatment due to their lower firing temps.
Hope this helps.

Some things take time as does relieving the 'ash scent' from my Pagasari chawan. It's on its second hot water soak and rinse and the scent has greatly abated. Just a few more sessions of this rinse then it'll be ready for matcha.

To dry the item, I first wipe with a gentle cloth. Then, for a few days, the chawan rests inverted atop a pair of chopsticks lying parallel on the tabletop. That way the chawan can breathe both inside and out, allowing all of the moisture to escape thus preventing mold from forming.