Horse Hair?
 

Here's the background:

(borrowed from http://www.cactuslands.com/shop_horse_hair_pottery.htm)

"Horsehair pottery is a Native American art form that dates back years. As its name implies, it is made using hair from the tail and mane of a horse. It's said that a pueblo potter whose long hair blew against a piece of pottery she was removing from a hot kiln, stuck to the piece, first made horsehair pottery. The result was so interesting that she duplicated it with hair from a horse's tail."

Here's a link to a gallery with a bunch of finished pieces:

http://www.windymesapottery.com/Gallery.html

My question is, has anyone ever tried this with glass? (Would it even work or are the temps too high?). What about fusing? If no one has tried it, anyone with a horse willing to give it a go? I'm curious to know how it works out...

Raku is low fire, and the pots are pulled hot from the kiln at about 1000F, but I don't think the temp is why it would or wouldn't work. Personally, I don't think it would work. Horse hair burns leaving a carbon residue on the clay body. Carbon burns off of glass.

yes, I've tried it and no success so far...

I'll be watching this thread to see if anyone has any ideas that might work!

Ahhh. Okay - it's the carbon element I was missing. I thought it was perhaps more of a chemical reaction that might be transferable.

Itsexpression - did you try it directly in the flame? Or perhaps on the bead before kilning it?

It won't work no matter what you do. Hate to be so absolute but the surface of glass won't "fuse" carbon into it. It will just burn off or wipe off when its cooled. Raku Clay is a totally different kind of material that is low fire and porous so the carbon has a way to work into the surface.

You can still try it...but it won't work ;)

You can always pull super thin stringers of something like intense black and that may give you the same kind of effect.

Steel wool, when encased gives a similar result.



Steel wool over opalin pink, then encased in clear.

Beautiful!

There's an official term for the technique, an Italian word of course... but I can't for the life of me come up with it.

Found it!

Crepuscolo

That's gorgeous!

Wow I LOVE horse hair pottery and can't wait to try it in glass!!!

Wow. That is VERY cool! I need to try that... ;)

Thanks for posting it! Beautiful shape to that piece too!

This is a TOTALLY beautiful piece in person. I'm gonna go steal it out of John's office and take some better pics of it. LOL!

John, sweetie... You never re-stocked your Etsy shop after we got home...

I'm just sayin'.... Heheheheh...

Horsehair....tried it ( my little mini horse didn''t mind at all) and the smell you get =; You get bubbles in your bead and the hair dissapears. Doesn't look bad...but I have made better beads :cool:
Steelwool is great. Don't use too much to avoid cracks.
I bought a package of cheap cleaning pads to clean your sink(without the soap in them). Think you have them in the US also.

Sonja

As a professional ceramic artist, I agree with FlameFilly. Raku clay is purposely underfired so retains it's porosity which is why it absorbs smoke & other materials easily.

I DON'T doubt you guys and gals re: hair
 

I am just a curious person and need to understand all that I can.

I am very interest in doing some of the cremation beads and pendants. I have been doing as much research as I can and trying to wrap my head around it so that when I do start with these; I will be giving a good quality item and the owner/person will be proud to own.

I did porcelain for years and I am familiar with ceramics and horsehair pottery; therefore, I am in agreement that glass is not a happy companion to burning hair.

Besides really wanting all the assistance I can get in doing these items. I would like to know if anyone knows why someone will say "beads made with your pets cremains/fur" There is no mention to enclosing them after making the bead and it leads one to believe that the fur is made part of the bead?..

I would love to hear your comments on this.

Thank you in advance.
Cherri

You can make fur beads by filling a hollow bead with fur and capping and coring the bead. I've done many beads with fur, horse hair and other items which can not be incorporated in hot glass but look really nice in a hollow bead :)

Cremains can be used in hot glass :)

Thank you VERY much Suzanne

As I thought.

It is sometimes confusing us greenhorns what is what.

I thank you.

Cherri