Raku
/ˈrɑːkuː/noun
A method of firing pottery in which pieces are removed from a hot kiln and rapidly cooled, often producing distinctive crackled or metallic surfaces.
Did you know?The name comes from the Japanese character 楽, meaning “pleasure” or “ease,” which was reportedly bestowed on the potter Chōjirō by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the sixteenth century.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese, before 1st century CE
Old Chinese
樂
“Music, especially instrumental music; also joy or pleasure”
Middle Chinese, c. 6th–10th centuries
Middle Chinese
樂 (*ngak)
“Music, joy, or pleasure; the character had multiple readings according to meaning”
16th Century
Japanese
楽 (raku)
“Ease, pleasure, or comfort; used in the name of the Raku family and its pottery tradition”
Late 16th Century
Japanese
楽焼 (raku-yaki)
““Raku firing” or “Raku ware,” the hand-shaped pottery associated with Chōjirō and the tea ceremony”
20th Century
English
raku
“A pottery-firing technique and the distinctive ware produced by it”