Copper Raku Vase

This shiny irridescent vase is absolutely stunning to see in person. I've included a few videos so that you can get a good sense of how rich and interesting the surface glazing turned out.
 
I threw this one by hand on the wheel from a heavily grogged raku clay, designed to stand up to the thermal shock of the firing process known as North American Raku. I chose a combination of three different metallic glazes for this one, and the black matte surface detail is where the surface of the bare clay of the pot has carbonized in the fire.
 
What is North American Raku?
This glazing process is wild. After an initial bisque firing in a standard electric kiln, I glaze each piece by hand with special metallic glazes. Then we fire the pieces again to 1840 degrees Fahrenheit, and remove them directly from the kiln --glowing hot-- with tongs to place them into a nest of paper combustibles inside a sealed metal chamber.  This exciting method of glaze firing removes all of the oxygen inside of the chamber giving rise to a reduction atmosphere which allows for the development of these intensely shiny coppery hues. The pieces are then cold shocked to further develop the colours and textures.
 
Raku is usually more expensive than traditionally glazed ceramics because of the high likelyhood of thermal shock and cracking. Many pieces are lost to this process, making the resulting gems that we pull from the literal ashes all the more special, and completely one of a kind.