Pit Fired Pottery
           by
JUDY THOMPSON
I make each pot on the potter's wheel. After trimming, a pot is burnished to a high shine with a fine particle clay and water mixture, called terra sigilatta. The burnished pots are then fired to 1582 degrees Fahrenheit in an electric kiln to harden them.
My current pit is constructed of concrete block and insulating fire brick. It is above ground, and measures about 4 feet by 6 feet by 4 feet deep. After burning a small fire in it to preheat the pit, a 4 inch layer of fine sawdust is placed in the bottom of the pit. The pots are laid on the sawdust, leaving some space between.
Salts are sprinkled in the spaces around the pots....table salt, sea salt, Kosher salt, Epsom salt. After the salts, dry powdered oxides are sprinkled on top of the salts and the pots. I use iron oxide, rutile, red copper oxide, and copper carbonate. Finally, powdered copper sulfate is sprinkled throughout the pit.
Next, the pots are completely covered with sawdust and wood shavings. This cushions them from the heavy wood that will be placed on top of them, and insulates them from the sudden heat of the fire.
The final layer is made up of first small twigs and leaves, then larger sticks of wood. There is usually about 2 feet of wood piled on the top of the pit before lighting it.
The pile of wood is lit, and the flames burn hot and high for about an hour.
When the fire has died down to hot coals, a sheet metal cover is placed on top of the pit.
About 2 days later, when the pit is cool, the lid can be removed. The pots appear, covered in soot and ashes. Cleaning these pots is definitely not the fun part, and requires alot of "elbow grease".
Finishing the pots after cleaning the ash and soot off of them is a labor intensive step....but one I really enjoy. For it is the final step that brings out the beauty of the pots. After cleaning them, the final layer on these pots is achieved with a hard paste wax. A layer of wax is applied, allowed to dry, and then buffed with a soft cloth. After three layers of wax have been applied and buffed, there is a wonderful depth and richness to the colors. The hard wax surface also protects the surfaces of these beautiful pots.