Small Leaf Trinket Dish

This handmade raku trinket dish is uniquely crafted using an actual red maple leaf. The artist presses the leaf into the clay, creating a detailed imprint of its lines and veins, capturing the intricate texture of the leaf’s surface. After the leaf is carefully removed, the dish is allowed to dry and undergoes a bisque firing, which hardens the clay.

The dish is then painted with a dark blue accent in the imprinted veins, which is gently wiped back to highlight the delicate details. Following this, a vibrant green crackle glaze is applied over the entire surface, adding a striking layer of texture and contrast. The final step involves raku firing.

The raku firing involves heating the glazed dish to a high temperature in a kiln and then quickly removing it while it’s still glowing hot. The piece is placed into a container filled with combustible materials such as sawdust or newspaper, which ignites and creates a reduction atmosphere. This sudden change in environment produces the distinctive crackling and vibrant patina characteristic of raku ceramics.

The result is a beautiful trinket dish that combines the natural elegance of the maple leaf with the unique artistic effects of raku firing. Its detailed leaf imprint, dark blue highlights, and green crackle glaze make it a captivating decorative piece or a charming container for small treasures.