Raku isn’t just pottery; it’s an alchemy of clay, fire, and philosophy. It was born in 16th-century Kyoto, when tea master Sen no Rikyū sought a vessel that embodied wabi-sabi—beauty in imperfection. Enter Chōjirō, a tile-maker tasked with crafting tea bowls that were simple, earthy, and hand-molded rather than wheel-thrown. The result? A style of pottery unlike any other, built for the hushed reverence of the Japanese tea ceremony. The name Raku —meaning “enjoyment” or “ease”—came later, stamped on a seal given to Chōjirō’s son, Jokei, by warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. That seal cemented the Raku family legacy, an unbroken line of master potters that continues today under Raku Kichizaemon XVI . This wasn’t mass production. Each bowl was a meditation, a singular creation made to be held, turned in the hands, and contemplated before a sip of tea. No two were alike, each bearing the marks of fire, clay, and the moment it was born. Raku tea bowl with crane by Ryōnyū (Raku IX), 1810–1838, LAC...