Artist: Cristopher Ruiz Origin: Molelos, Portugal Material: Local Black Clay Dimensions: 8cm wide x 5.5cm high
Handmade tea bowl by artist Cristopher Ruiz made in Portugal from local clay. These bowls are very light and have the characteristic roughness of unglazed clay. Ideal for low to medium temperature teas.
The peculiarity of Molelos Black Clay is that the black color does not come from a glaze or a pigment, but from the firing process; it is a black ceramic produced by reduction firing. There is smoke, combustion gases, and carbon, but little oxygen. This lack of oxygen does two important things:
First, it prevents the iron in the clay from remaining in its reddish oxidized form. Second, the combustion gases "take" oxygen from the oxides in the clay. That is, the iron changes its chemical state. Instead of remaining as reddish ferric oxide, it transforms into more reduced, darker forms, which produce grays and blacks.
