Woodfired collection: Facet vase with ash glaze

A woodfired ash-glazed vase with facets. Together with a group of ceramicists, we came together to take on the intensive process of firing in a large wood kiln. The kiln is slowly stoked with wood until it reaches 1300°C. It’s a process that requires constant attention to both flame and temperature, as these elements directly influence the final outcome.

As the flames move through the kiln, along with swirling wood ash, they interact with the pots inside  leaving behind beautiful and unpredictable effects. It’s a raw, volatile and uncertain process where survival of each piece is not guaranteed. The works that make it through always carry the story of the fire, with small imperfections, variations and textures that reflect the unique charm of woodfiring.

This particular vase is hard to capture in a photo. There’s just so much to see, every angle reveals something new. This one caught a generous amount of ash in the kiln.
The base has been smoothed, but you can still see the spots where the wadding sat, small balls of clay used to keep the pot from fusing to the kiln shelf.

This was part of my very first woodfiring and therefore belongs to a special collection.