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Smoke Fired Pottery

Renewing old techniques

Although the use of smoke to decorate pottery is not new it has fallen into disuse. As practiced at Morfar Pottery the smoke fire process starts, just as with any other pots, with a lump of clay. After wedging, throwing and drying the piece is bisque fired in an electric kiln (currently cone 6 porcelain is used). At this point the clay is hard but still porous and ready for the next step.

A primitive kiln is used to apply the smoke decoration. At Old Iron Works Days an above ground pit constructed of common red bricks was used. First a bed of saw dust was laid with some wood and a couple of coals to get the fire started. Once the surface of the saw dust was converted to a bed of coals some more wood was placed with the pots on top, more wood around them, and more saw dust scattered. The resulting fire is smokey and engulfs the pots, painting them with soot. As the fire heats up it drives carbon out of the pots resulting in striking patterns primarily composed of greys, but having some colors in addition. Because the bisque firing leaves the clay porous the soot is embedded in the clay itself. A careful cleaning of excess soot from the outside of the pot yields a finished piece.

At the 2008 Old Iron Works the focus was on instruction and children were willing to learn and participate—some by using Lori's 25-pound portable kick wheel and others by assisting with kicking it. Hand-built pieces were also made and a participant can contact Lori to coordinate having it bisque fired.