Obvara Technique Fired Pot
60.5" x 60.5" x 3"
To create Obvara pottery,  a solution which is a mixture of flour, yeast, and water, often called a "brew", is mixed at least three days in advance of firing to allow the brew to ferment (just like soda bread starter).  Pieces are made and bisqued before the final firing.
In a raku kiln, pots are fired to 1650 degrees F.  Pieces are removed from the kiln one at time, dunked into the brew and then quickly into water.  The surface of the pot is scalded by immediately placing the hot pot in the brew, leaving a wonderful variation of color from creamy tans, to browns and black, and sometimes speckled.  The brew burns quickly on the surface of the piece before going into the water. The water stops the burning and color change.  It is believed that this technique originated in Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages to seal low fire pottery. There is a revival of the process underway in Ukraine and the Baltics. It is nicknamed "Baltic Raku."