A mammoth undertaking

Lidded pots - only slightly wonky!

I popped down to Eastnor Pottery this afternoon to collect the pots which I turned and decorated a few weeks ago, and which have just come out of the kiln. These were a commission from my father, who wanted a lidded pot to use as a sugar bowl. He particularly requested that the lid should have a largish knob, to make it easy to grasp. That was quite tricky to accomplish – it’s a bit of an art to throw a lid to get the correct depth and spread anyway, let alone ensuring there is enough clay left in the middle to make a chunky handle. The yellow pot is 9cm high; the other two are 10cm high, and they’re all 9cm across at the top. So even though I was throwing freehand and wasn’t using calipers, they’ve come out pretty consistent in size. I always struggle to know how to decorate my pots. I’m competent at the technical aspects of throwing after all these years, but I’m not particularly artistic and tend to go for very simple decorations – I don’t want to detract from the shape of the pot. I’m quite pleased with the shape of these three pots – they’re the “classic vase” shape that I was aiming for.