Straw or Ash Glaze

Straw or ash glazes are the ceramic glazes obtained from various kinds of wood or straw ashes. The discovery of this technique happened by chance in China around 1500 BC, during the Shang Dynasty, when the ash from the burned wood in the kiln accidentally landed on the pots that were being fired. By 1000 BC the Chinese had mastered the technique, and added ash to the mixture of clay and water that they used to slip their pottery in. Depending on the type of wood or straw employed, the colour of the glaze can range between green, light to dark brown and also creamy white when ash from rice straw is used, as it is very rich in silica.