About Lustre

Lustre is metallic decoration on the surface of ceramic forms or tiles. Golds, silvers and reflective reds have seized the imagination of makers and appreciators of ceramics for over 1,200 years. Such work has been highly prized over centuries in many lands and cultures.

The allure of lustre

Lustre on ceramics is almost akin to alchemy. In the right conditions, copper becomes vibrant, lustrous red. Silver may be silvery or may become golden. The transformation of dull metal compounds to gleaming, reflective metal is achieved in complex firing conditions in the kiln that are hard to control.

So lustre is also unpredictable and therefore rarely practised today. The fire may thwart the potter's ambitions or reverse his worst expectations. A crucial skill in producing lustre lies in the packing and firing of the kiln in the last of three firings. At this point, when most potters have produced their final product, the lustre potter is just starting on the most hazardous stage.