Decoration and Firing:
Saggar Firing:
The newest technique I have been working on is called saggar firing.
It comes from a combination of the techniques of pit firing and firing in saggars. The decorating and
the firing are done in containers of clay called saggars. They can be any size and shape, as long as
they fit into the kiln. Saggars were originally used to protect pottery from impurities like ash landing
on them during a firing. Now they are used to create their own atmospheres inside the saggar. They are
usually stacked one on top of another inside a gas kiln. To prepare, pots are covered with a coating
of terra sigillatta, a slip made from letting clay slip settle, and siphoning off the finest particles
of clay that are left in suspension on top. This slip gives a satin surface to the clay and forms the
base for the smoke decoration. After the pots are bisqued, they are placed in saggars with various combustible
materials packed around them. These can be anything from salt and metallic oxides to copper wire, sawdust, hay, seaweed,
or wood shavings. Each saggar forms its own atmosphere inside as the kiln is fired. The waves of smoke
produce patterns on the clay, each one unique.