This piece was soda fired, a process where soda ash is introduced into the kiln at high heat, forming a natural glaze as it reacts with the clay surface. The soft pink blush was caused by direct flame contact—where heat, vapor, and minerals aligned for just the right duration. Too much flame and the surface can scorch; too little and the blush won’t appear. Because blushing is created by exposure to open flame, it’s difficult to predict and nearly impossible to reproduce. So more than most ceramic mugs, this one is very much one of a kind.
