The Voice of Tokoname Clay
Handcrafted ceramic ocarinas made from rare Tokoname Karasudei clay. Individually tuned. Individually fired. No two are ever alike.
Available Ocarinas
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The Clay Comes First
Crow Ocarinas begin with Tokoname Karasudei—an iron-rich clay treasured for its strength, subtle texture and remarkable response to reduction firing. Rather than hiding the material beneath glaze, we allow the clay itself to become the finish.
Why Crow?
Crow Ocarinas takes its name from the clay I use to make my instruments.
The Japanese clay is called 烏泥土 (karasu deido). 烏 (karasu) means crow, a name associated with the dark colour the clay develops when fired in reduction.
It’s an unusual clay with a character of its own. In an oxidising atmosphere it fires to a deep earthy brown, while reduction transforms it into a much darker, almost black body.
It isn’t the easiest clay to work with, but over time I’ve become attached to its particular qualities and learned to work with its idiosyncrasies rather than against them.
The crow gradually became more than the name of the clay. It became a natural symbol for the instruments themselves — and ultimately the name and mark of Crow Ocarinas.