Celebrating excellence in American fine craft.
Raku is a form of pottery developed in Japan in the 16th century in an endeavor to produce bowls to match the beauty and the gracefulness of their traditional green tea ceremony. The precise movements and slow pace of the considered a form of meditation.
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Calling for attainment of harmony, enlightenment, wisdom and compassion, the ritual is very spiritual. Enjoyment or Ease is the literal translation of the word Raku in Japanese. The Raku firing is a very hands-on process. The pottery is light, delicate, and feels earthy to the touch. Raku ware is removed from the kiln with long-handled tongs while still glowing red-hot, and quickly placed inside a metal can with a combustible material. J. Davis Studio uses locally recycled newspapers. After the paper ignites, the container is closed tightly which causes a reduction of air. The lack of oxygen and smoke react with the glaze creating an unpredictable one-of-a-kind surface. When the can has cooled for a few minutes, the lid is opened and a burst of water is sprayed on the pieces to quickly freeze the luminescent colors. Living in Far West Texas all his life has had a profound effect on John Davis’ pottery. The rugged beauty and history of the peaceful Big Bend region helped inspire John’s raku line. Inspiration comes from both the mountainous beauty, and the rich history associated with the area. Even though the raku firing process originated in Japan, the rustic look creates the essence of an ancient civilization, like an artifact unearthed from a primitive Indian camp ground around the Rio Grande riverbed. Many raku pieces break during the thermal shock treatment, so each surviving raku ware is truly a treasure to be cherished.
GO AHEAD. Pick this rattle up. Cup it in the palm of your hand. Foc us o n the weight . N o w g i v e i t a s h a k e . D i d y o u f e e l t h at ? Of course you did. Yo u r s h o u l d e r s j u s t r e l a x e d . T h a t ’ s s t r e s s l e a v i n g y o u r b o d y.
N a t u r a l l y. O k a y. N o w f o r t h e b i g g i e .
T h i n k o f o n e t h i n g f o r w h i c h y o u a r e g r at e f u l . C o m e o n . Yo u c a n t h i n k o f a t l e a s t o n e . Pay attention. There! Now you feel it. That’s amazing, huh? Your heart & your head just pushed your worries aside. U n i te yo ur m i n d, b ody , & s p i ri t to conquer fear. Use this rattle as a tool. Make some funky music. Shake to the rhythm of your favorite song, or to the beat of your own drum. U s e t o r at t l e y o u r w o r r i e s away, o r ( i f y o u i n s i s t ) j u s t t o k e e p y o u r pa p e r s f r o m b l o w i n g away. Narcissus Award Finalist Best in Body, Mind & Spirit Selected by the editors of “New Age Magazine”
innerSpirit Rattles Handcrafted by J. Davis Studio ,
located in the remote Alpine, TX…. in the land of the peaceful Big Bend National Park, and the mysterious Marfa Lights from clay made in Austin.
J. Davis Studio Est. 1987
Handmade in a land far, far away... Alpine, TX Our small ceramics studio is located close to Big Bend National Park, an isolated, sometimes harsh, & rugged land in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert. The immense beauty & peacefulness of the area have a way of reinforcing faith, dredging up an unknown inner strength, & of sparking a deep appreciation of even the smallest things in life.
Decorated trees became popular in the United States when people saw the beautiful ornaments brought by families emigrating from Germany & England in the 1840’s. This J. Davis Studio ornament was handmade in Alpine, TX but the unique Raku firing creates the look of an heirloom that crossed the ocean with those hopeful families. Raku is a form of pottery developed in 16th century Japan to create bowls to match the beauty and the gracefulness of their traditional green tea ceremony. Raku is removed from the kiln with long-handled tongs while still glowing red-hot, and quickly placed inside a metal can with a combustible material. When the paper ignites, the container is closed tightly. Lack of oxygen and smoke react with the glaze creating an unpredictable one -of-a-kind surface. After a few minutes, the can is popped open and quickly sprayed with a burst of water which freezes the luminescent colors. Raku pottery feels earthy and delicate. The intense thermal shock, causes many pieces to break, so each one that survives is a truly a treasure to be cherished.
Celebrating excellence in American fine craft.