IRIDESCENT GINGER JAR (smoke fired, no. 5)

Wheel-thrown ceramic ginger jar, decorative or for storage of dried foods, such as tea, herbs or coffee. Food safe but due to the lower temperature firing technique, not water-proof.

I painted this small set of ginger jars with mica terra sigilata.  Mica is a sheet silicate mineral that splits into ultra-thin, reflective layers, creating iridescence as light shimmers and shifts between them—like the greens and blues of an abalone shell. Mica mixed with terra sigillata (a refined suspension of very fine clay particles), it lends a soft, luminous sheen.

Smoke Firing (aka Sawdust Firing) is a variation on one of the oldest firing techniques.  Nestling pots in a bed of sawdust, the sawdust is lit at the top and then allowed to smolder for 12 - 24 hours, giving post a rich, black and sometimes grey and white surface without the use of any glaze.   An added layer of terrasigiliata, a solution of only the finest clay particles, is added and polished before firing to add a natural gloss shene.