J. Davis Studio (Alpine, TX)

InnerSpirit Raku Rattles

Davis Studio is a small ceramics studio in Alpine, TX. It is located close to the mysterious Marfa Lights. John and Robin Davis are the producers of raku pottery and founders of J.Davis Studio.

Discovered in archaeological digs around the world, rattles are rich with culture and stories. Their unusual surface was inspired by a 16th century pottery firing technique invented by Japanese tea masters striving to honor the unassuming beauty of imperfect things.  Native Americans used rattles to bestow blessings upon their crops.  InnerSpirit Rattles are meant to remind us of humankind’s resilience and global connection andsymbolize our multicultural world.

The raku rattles begin like your everyday pottery. Wet clay is molded by hand, dried slowly, fired, cooled slowly, then glazed, and finally fired a second time. At this point the red-hot pottery is pulled from the kiln and placed in a closed metal can with combustibles, such as newspaper which ignites a fire. As the fire burns out, fluid smoke and lack of oxygen leave behind an unpredictable surface with delicate, colorful, and one-of-a kind iridescent patterns.

Davis Studio has sold its handcrafted goods for over 30 years to gift shops and American craft galleries, including the Renwick Gallery Store at the Smithsonian Institution, the Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, and the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite National Park.

Each raku rattle design comes with a different story card to help encourage good thoughts.