Tessha Glazed Bowl : : 7 x 13.5 cm
Tessha
Tessha (鉄砂, literally "iron sand") is a traditional Japanese iron-rich ceramic glaze.
Twenty one of these burgundy, wheel-thrown bowls, were commissioned by Queensland’s Premier’s department in December 2006 to be given as gifts by the department. The bowls now feature in the Corporate Catalogue of Artisan Gallery, Brisbane.
High Iron Glazes
The tessha glaze one of a number of traditional high iron glazes developed over the centuries in China, Korea, Japan and elsewhere. I have experimented with a number of high iron glazes to produce the tessha glaze I used for these works and also tenmoku and kaki glazes which may be seen on the Kaki and Tenmoku Bowls page.
Tessha Glazed Bowl
Iron Sand
Each bowl, individually handcrafted from porcelain, was fired to 1280 degrees centigrade in reduction. They are finished with a feldspathic glaze and the sparkling crystalline surface is the result of a slow cooling, which causes visible ’spangles’ of haematite to form from an iron-rich glaze. The overlaid glaze is a traditional chun glaze appearing black where thin and blue where it is thicker. The glaze is applied in a spontaneous manner conferring individuality to each piece.
