History of Flameware
Cook on Clay ceramic pottery is made with a high-fire “flameproof” clay body formulated to withstand thermal shock when heated. Many other types of clay can also be used in the oven, but pots made from flameware clay can withstand more extreme temperature changes than typical earthenware pottery.
The development of flameware ceramics began in the early 1900’s and was hastened by the advances in the chemical composition of clay to make it stronger and more resistant to cracking. These newer clays also required higher-temperature firing, and began the transition from traditional low-fire earthenwares to high-fire modern ceramics.
During the 1950’s & 1960’s pottery artists Mikhail Zakin, Karen Karnes, and Mary Caroline Richards, along with others including Bill Sax and Ron Probst, were interested in developing high-fire flameware clay bodies. In addition to the traditional clay ingredients, they added petalite—a material also used for tiles on the space shuttle—to ensure that the clay would withstand temperature changes without expansion or cracking. Their experiments succeeded and flameware was born.
In addition to being one of the original creators of flameware clay, Karen Karnes is respected as one of the matriarchs of the contemporary American studio pottery movement. She is also a friend and mentor of Cook on Clay founder Robbie Lobell. During a six-week residency in Karen Karnes’ studio in 2001, Robbie was invited to work first-hand with Karnes’ high-fire ceramic flameware.
Over the next several years, Robbie explored and developed new designs for flameware pots to be used from the stove to the table. The current Cook on Clay flameware product line is the result of nearly a decade of development and evolution, and today’s products offer superior performance with a perfect blend of structural integrity, elegance, and beauty.
