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Comet Plate
  • Comet Plate
Comet Plate

Comet Plate

$85.00

Wheel thrown stoneware plate, wood + soda fired.

This plate has been painted by the kiln atmosphere, glass accumulating where the flame path traveled and shadows left by the wadding used to support it during the firing.

Wadding is a mixture of clay and sand that is used to prop up pottery in an atmopheric kiln, It resists the glass deposition by the atmosphere, has an extremely high melting point and pops off after the firing.

Although this plate is more for show, it is perfectly suitable for food use.

Size: 10" dia.

Wood & Soda Fired

Wood & soda fired pieces are characterized by warm & earthy tones, glassy surfaces similar in feeling to slightly coarse stone.

The unique variegated surface is developed by the interaction of wood ash and sodium vapors at temperatures exceeding 2300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sodium vapor is derived by vaporizing sodium carbonate or baking soda in the firebox of the kiln. This vapor acts a flux, reacting with the silica and alumina found in clay to form a glass where they combine.

Wood ash acts in a similar manner, although it brings along trace elements from the soil where the tree once grew. These trace elements can shift the color response, often forming green/ yellow/ brown glass rivulets.

By combining wood & soda firing, which are often performed individually as their own firing style, I'm able to produce a nice blend of qualities from both techniques.

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