Highest temperature in a wood-fired kiln

The highest temperature in a wood-fired kiln is 1,563 degrees Celsius (2,845.4 degrees Fahrenheit) and was achieved by Zhunan Snake Kiln and Lin Jui-Hwa (both Chinese Taipei) in Zhunan, Miaoli County, Chinese Taipei on 18 June 2016.

The record temperature of 1,563 degrees Celsius was reached at 8.45 pm in the evening. Mr. Lin, the kiln master, could have continued to heat the kiln and reach higher temperatures. However, this would have compromised the glazing of the art objects inside the kiln, affected the shape of the objects and damaged the artwork on the surface of the objects.

Lin Tien Fu, father of the record holder Lin Jui-Hwa, founded the Zhunan Snake Kiln around forty years ago. Snake kilns have a recorded history of 250 years. The Zhunan Snake Kiln is considered to be among Taiwan's most important places of historical interest. The snake kiln, a structure some 20 metres in length, is fired up once every year now. A second kiln, built in 2012, was used in this record attempt.

Zhunan and Miaoli County have long been considered as the centre of the Taiwan ceramics and glazing industries.

International ceramists come to the Zhunan Snake Kiln to learn how to construct kilns that can achieve such high temperatures as those achieved by Mr. Lin, the current master ceramist at this kiln, and to learn techniques on how to fire the kiln.

The highest temperature reached by the kiln during this record attempt also represents a record temperature for the Zhunan Snake Kiln. Catalogues of ceramics glazed at this kiln record the highest temperature reached in the firing process – typically temperatures reach 1,400 to 1,500 º Celsius.

150 pieces of artwork were glazed inside the kiln during the attempt. These included vases, tea bowls and water containers. It would have been possible to keep the temperature inside the kiln at its peak temperature, but this would damage the ceramics and it was expected that the kiln internal temperature will drop to about 100 º C around two weeks after the attempt.

The wood used to fire the kiln is derived locally from two main sources; driftwood from rivers and the nearby cross-straits channel: and factory waste sapwood. The kiln itself is made of fireproof bricks sourced locally.

The kiln was heated for 51 hours to reach this temperature. 2,600 kilograms of wood were used to feed and heat the kiln.

There is approximately 1.6 sq. meters of space inside the kiln

The Zhunan Snake Kiln prides itself on its use entirely of natural resources. Its chimney exhaust is smokeless thanks to the efficiency of the heat transfer from the driftwood and sapwood fed into the kiln.