This is another fine piece of contemporary American Studio Pottery in my online shop. The other pieces with these beautiful crystalline glazes were made by Julie Brooke. These small studio pieces are harder to source in the UK.
This piece is fully marked on the base as being made by Ray West - and his Camp Nelson Pottery in California.
Crystalline is a specialist type of glaze where zinc silicate crystals form in the glaze during the kiln firing process. The glaze is mixed using a variety of raw materials, some measured in minute amounts.
The firing process uses a complex schedule with several temperature ramps to create different crystal growth formations. The kiln is fired to a maximum temperature of around 130 centigrade and then cooled to specific holding temperatures to allow crystals to form in the glaze. The amount of time held at this temperature contributes to the size of the crystals. Crystals occur randomly in the glaze, making each piece unique. As you can see this is a complex and skilled process.
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