Raku firing at night: small clay cups and bowls among flames and pine cones in a metal barrel, seen from above — Raku: the glowing pieces go straight into leaves and pine cones

Casa Siphioni

Casa Siphioni is the ceramics studio that José and Diana Siphioni run together in Alvados, a small village in the limestone hills of the Serra de Aire e Candeeiros natural park. The studio is also the family’s home: an old family house in the centre of the village.

José came to clay by chance, after he lost his job programming knitting machines in a textile factory in nearby Mira de Aire. Today he makes small figures of Portuguese writers, musicians and kings, tableware, and pieces for restaurants and hotels. He works with old ways of firing: raku, where glowing pieces go straight into leaves and wood, and the paper kiln, built from newspaper, clay and wood.

In the workshops, you try these techniques yourself. You do not need any experience.

Three ways to work with clay

Introduction to the potter's wheel
Knead, centre and throw your first pieces on the wheel. Beginners are welcome.
Duration
about 2 hours
Minimum participants
2
Raku firing
Fire glazed pieces in a gas kiln, then let leaves from the garden smoke-colour the bare clay. Your pieces are finished the same day.
Duration
about 4 hours
Minimum participants
{{TODO: Mindestteilnehmer}}
Paper kiln
Build an open-air kiln from newspaper, clay and wood, and fire in it – close to how pottery was fired thousands of years ago.
Duration
about 6 hours
Minimum participants
{{TODO: Mindestteilnehmer}}