Saggar Pottery

Saggar firing is a firing technique where a piece of pottery is placed into a container (saggar) surrounded by combustible materials. The containers are then placed in a kiln and slowly fired to about 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. The containers are traditionally made of clay. I have also used tin foil to create the saggars. The ancient Chinese developed the use of saggars to protect their fragile pots from the ash during a wood firing. Presently, saggars are used as an alternative firing technique where the fumes from the combustible materials (sawdust, wood chips, banana peels, coffee grinds, etc.) as they burn create interesting colors and patterns on the clay pot without using glaze. Saggar fired pots are purely decorative; they are not food safe and will not hold water.

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SaggarVase12-17
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