FIRING A CLAY WORK INTO TERRACOTTA

DEFINITION OF SOME TERMS
FIRING: Firing simply means the process of applying heat or fire to a leather hard clay work in order to produce terracotta.

TERRACOTTA: This simply means fired clay.

LEATHERHARD: A clay work that is free of natural water.

THE TYPE OF FIRING METHOD
The method used in firing the clay works is known as OPEN AIR FIRING. Open air firing is traditional method of firing where woods and paper are gathered in an open field, artworks are arranged strategically in the wooden pile and set ablaze to achieve terracotta.

PROCESS OF FIRING
An open field is choosen and all the works (must be leather hard) as well as firewood needed are gathered.

After choosing an open field, firewood was placed flat on the ground as a sort of base for the clay works. Works were then placed on the base; this was done consecutively until the final result produced a triangular structure with the clay works placed strategically in the and around the pile.

The triangular structure was then set alit. Due to the dryness of the firewood used and the fast rate it was burning, water was copiously poured on the structure in order to reduce its speed.

During the firing process, works that had pockets of air (i.e. the clay used in their production was not properly kneaded) in them made that a popping sound that indicated that those part of the works affected had come apart.

After around twenty to thirty minutes, water was then poured to cool the fire and works were brought out from the fire.

RESULT
Initially, works brought out of the fire were black but when water was poured on them; they turned a light shade of red. Due to the short time span of the firing, some of the works were not fully fired. Some of the fired works(now terracotta) came out whole, others came out half-baked or cracked, some came out with part of them broken or cracked and some couldn’t even be found i.e. they dissipated completely.

Works that were cracked or broken could be patched with glue and powdered terracotta.