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raku

American  
[rah-koo] / ˈrɑ ku /

noun

  1. a thick-walled, rough, dark lead-glazed Japanese earthenware used in the tea ceremony.


Etymology

Origin of raku

1870–75; < Japanese raku ( -yaki ) “pleasure” glaze, originated by Chōjirō of Kyoto, who was given the seal-stamp with the character “pleasure” from Hideyoshi as an artisan-household designation

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In her studio, Lee has placed her kilns and pottery wheel and tried alternative firing techniques such as raku and pit firing.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2024

Artisans on various continents have painted Pop Art checkerboards on traditional tea-bowl forms and used ancient raku firing techniques on jokily unusable perforated vases.

From New York Times • Dec. 1, 2011

But in due course, ceramics echoing more native tastes — for example studiedly irregular raku vessels — also became an integral part of the complex tea-drinking ritual.

From New York Times • Jan. 8, 2010

Like Rikyu before him, Koetsu worked with a family of potters whose name came to stand for a whole class of rough, low-fired pottery: raku ware.

From Time Magazine Archive

I see myself that first day, sitting cross- legged on a batik floor pillow, drinking green tea out of a fired raku cup, and looking up at Zora with my big, hopeful, curious, attentive eyes.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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