To truly experience the magic of ceramics, artists need to experiment and try new things. Sometimes combining new ideas with old methods creates something new. At one time, people discovered that heating clay made it harder. Apply a mixture of chemicals and heat, and just like that you have an object that holds water and can be used with food. It probably took a few tries, but somebody had to make that first attempt, and over the years the process has been perfected. Push yourself to experiment and you could discover the next great combination!

Horsehair firing techniques have been around for ages. Artists have tried burning all kinds of materials on ceramic surfaces, with varying degrees of success. Feathers leave an interesting impression, but they can be a little more challenging for a couple of reasons. If not placed properly or attempted in windy conditions, only partial designs are left. And on rounded or indented areas, it can be a challenge to get the feathers to bend and contact the lower spots. Flat areas are the best and easiest to work with.

I’ve seen many beautiful horsehair and feathered items. But for this project I wanted to incorporate glass, as well. Glass can be fully fused into glaze or it can be partially fused (referred to as tack fused). Glass comes in many colors, even some with sparkles. Most kinds of glass will work, including stained glass, fusing glass, and glass pebbles or marbles. Most fusing glass will come out true to color, whereas stained glass or inexpensive craft glass may change colors in the firing process. The glazes the glass is combined with can also alter the colors slightly. Experimentation is recommended.

Horsehair firing is most commonly done over a white background. What may appear to be a matte glaze is often a blend of products to create a terra sigillata coating. Generally it’s a mixture of clay, water, and sodium silicate. This solution is applied to the outside of clay or greenware shapes and then polished or burnished in one of several different ways. Some artists use the back of a spoon, a metal rod, or stones. Others use polishing cloths or chamois. Occasionally, baby oil or similar products are used in the polishing process.

Once the greenware or clay item is covered with terra sigillata and polished, it’s loaded into the kiln and fired to cone 06. Some artists will pull the items as they cool from the firing (between 900 and 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit) but I’ve gotten the best results by allowing them to cool and then reheating. The hot items are removed from the kiln using tongs, and horsehair and feathers are held in contact with the sides, where they burn on the surface. Once the ceramic has cooled and the ash is brushed away, carbon deposits remain on the ceramic surface. Wax is usually applied to protect the somewhat porous surface from moisture or contaminants from handling.

Many variations of horsehair firing exist, and every artist has his or her own tips and tricks. So don’t be alarmed if this method differs from others you’ve read about. Take bits and pieces and develop your own style and look. The actual process of making true terra sigillata is complicated and takes time. I wanted to combine more colors and banding techniques into my horsehair firing. So this is my simplified, low-fire technique.

Creating the Shapes

Begin with low-fire earthenware clay shapes. These can be cast with regular casting slip, built by hand, or clay puzzled using almost any low-fire clay body. Smooth any imperfections or seams on the ware. If you plan to glaze any part, it’s best to fire the item to cone 06 first. Yes, that’s 06, not 04. Do a little cooler firing so the ware can withstand the shock of being removed from the kiln while it’s hot. Also note, horsehair-fired items are for decorative purposes and are not food-safe. Because items are removed from the kiln while still hot, there’s a chance of crazing (small cracks in the glaze), so they may not hold water. To create an imitation terra sigillata coating, I used underglaze colors (the three-coat kind like Velvets by Amaco, Cover Coats by Duncan, or UG colors by Mayco). If the surface is going to be a solid color, use the color right from the jar and apply three coats. If banding the colors and creating blends, add two ounces of color to one ounce of water and mix well. Use a very soft fan glaze brush (like the Royal Aqualon R2845 Ultimate Glaze Fan) to apply four to five coats of terra sigilata over the surface. Try blending colors wet into wet with the use of a banding wheel to get a gradual fade from one color to another. Thin the color with water to make the application process easier and smoother. If the color is too thick, it may have ridges and bumps. This mixture will go on ultra-smooth! Add any finer lines of color with one-coat underglazes.

Allow the shape to dry until the shiny look is gone but it’s not completely dry. At this point the polishing begins. I prefer to use a chamois, rubbing it in a small, circular motion repeatedly over the surface until it develops a polished sheen. Don’t rub so hard that you remove the color. If the color is too damp, you’ll get scratch marks. Allow more drying time if you notice this happening. If you decide to add glazes to some areas, that can be done at this time. The bowls shown in this article only have polished underglaze on the outer rim. Clear glaze was applied over the underglaze in the centers of the bowls. The polishing was only done on the outer edge, not in the glazed areas. Thebacks were also glazed. Once polished and spot glazed, the objects are ready for firing. Place the stilted shapes in the kiln, fire again to cone 06, and allow it to cool. Either electric or gas kilns can be used, just make sure the kiln is within a short distance of an exterior door so that burning the hair can be done outdoors.

Trust me — you don’t want the burnt-hair smell in your home! I’ve found it best to allow items to completely cool, then reheat to 1,000 degrees before removing them from the kiln with metal tongs (normally used for raku methods) and placing each object on a flame-resistant surface. Immediately touch the horsehair or feathers to the ceramic surface and watch them curl up and burn. Work quickly, as items that get too cool will not burn the hair and feathers. You need to complete the process within a couple of minutes. Allow the items to cool. Some artists remove their items when they are cooling from the 06 firing. I’ve tried this and found that even though the digital readout on the kiln controller says it’s 1,000 degrees in the kiln, the ware may be hotter. If you’ve ever opened a hot kiln, you’ve seen the temperature reading goes down. When you close it, the temperature will often increase, even though the kiln is not running. Some ware retains heat more than others, depending how thick it is, and it can crack while applying hair and feathers. So to be on the safe side, this is the method I use. When the shapes have cooled, use a small duster brush to remove the loose ash. It should come off with ease and you do not need to scrub the surface. What remains is a permanent carbon deposit where the hair or feather contacted the surface. Apply a couple coats of floor wax to the surface for additional protection.

Adding Glass

Glass can be added to glazed areas and fired right into the glaze at cone 06. The purple bowl shown in this article had aventurine blue coarse glass frit applied randomly. When fired, the glass melts completely and flows. The brown bowl had large chips of glass placed over the fired glaze and tack fused by firing again to cone 015. The edges of the glass round and the glazes get soft enough to bond with the softened glass. The bowl was then reheated for the hair/feather application.

Kiln Concerns

As mentioned, either a gas or electric kiln can be used for this procedure. The reason you’ll often see artists using gas kilns is because they are portable and used outdoors, where many larger electric kilns can be difficult to transport and may require special wiring. I like to use electric kilns with digital controllers because I can see when the temperature is right and the items are ready to pull. I do use a large kiln in my basement, which requires that I carry the heated items with tongs about 50 feet to get outside. I also use a small electric kiln (Paragon Home Artist) with a 12-inch interior out on my patio because it can be plugged into a regular outlet. Many kiln manufactures have small electric kilns which plug into standard outlets and have digital controllers.

If you don’t have a digital kiln, don’t worry. It can be done with a manual kiln. A digital pyrometer is needed to give the actual temperature; those can be purchased for under $80. Digital pyrometers are easy to use and can be placed through a peephole plug hole. What about larger kilns? Is it safe to be opening the kiln when it’s hot? Larger kilns it may require opening a lid, putting your arm or face directly over the kiln opening and exposing you to heat. Create a pulley system by purchasing metal cable and a pulley at a hardware store. Hook the cable through the kiln lid handle and run it through a pulley attached to the ceiling above the kiln. Make the cable long enough so a second person can pull open the lid while the first person reaches in with the tongs.

Hair and Feathers

Even though most hair will burn, the thicker the hair, the better this method works. Hair from the family dog probably won’t leave many markings. Hair from a horse’s tail or mane is thick. Check with local horse owners to see if they will give or sell you the loose horsehair collected when brushing. It doesn’t take a lot of hair to do a shape. Hair can also be ordered online from companies selling it for musical instruments. Any kind of feathers will work, but look for softer feathers with space between the barbs. Solid, stiff feathers do not leave the wispy impressions seen here.

Safety

Never forget the pieces are hot when removing from the kiln. Be sure to wear protective clothing, pull long hair back, don’t wear loose clothing, and don’t do it in bare feet or while wearing flip-flops. Keep flammable materials away and don’t allow small children or pets in the area. Also have a fire extinguisher handy, just in case. Disconnect power to the kiln before reaching in with metal tongs. If the firing is done indoors, move rugs or other flammable items away from your path. Pull back any curtains or draperies which could blow into hot items. Always wear protective gloves when opening a hot kiln. Much of this sounds like common sense, but always stop and think, and walk through the process to see if you’re forgetting or missing anything before moving hot items. The technique is fun, but you also need to be safe!