Unique African Senufo Bird- Handmade & Hand painted. Raku Fired, Ceramic sculpture.Raku fired.
The Hornbill is the Senufo's "founding bird" it's swollen belly an obvious symbol of fertility. In initiation ceremonies of the "Poro" of Sierra Leone, the Senufo bird is worn as a hat by men.
Raku firing takes place outdoors in a gas fired kiln to reach a temperature of 1000C at which temperature the glaze melts.The ceramic is then lifted from the kiln and buried in a pit of wood shavings that combust on contact with the "red hot" ceramic. During the transfer from the kiln to the pit the glaze shrinks while the clay body beneath remains "fat", stretching the glaze to crackle open, creating the spontaneous crazed affect synonymous with "Raku"
These crazing patterns are accentuated by the carbon smoke soaking into the exposed clay body, through these fine cracks, during the 2024 smouldering process in the wood shavings.
Packed for delivery in a custom molded polyurethane pack affording great protection during cartage.
Product code: 2024 Senufo Bird Large