Pinched tea cup

Nothing like a leftover bit of clay (or clays) to invite one to pinch a pot, or in this case, a small tea cup. This one used up what was left from the small, two-color anvil bowl.

Pinching clay is one of the simplest methods of shaping and is usually reserved for objects small enough to fit in one's hand. Still, it is a little tricky to get things even. Multiple pinched shapes can be joined to make larger pieces. I added a foot ring to this cup.

The pinkish orange color is from a mason stain. After a bisque firing, I applied clear glaze to just the inside.

Another small object of questionable value except as an exercise and experiment for the potter.

Mushroom anvil bowl

There are all kinds of doodads to help the hand-builder make things that are uniform (more or less). One of them is what is called a mushroom anvil. Made from wood, a variety of forms may be attached to the handle. To shape the clay, the potter makes a slab, lays it out on a piece of foam rubber, then quickly presses the form into the clay. (See my anvil here.)

I tested out the anvil a while back, using two different colors of clay, one colored with mason stain.

After a bisque firing, I applied clear glaze to just the inside to display the difference between the glazed and unglazed surfaces.

As you can see, the bowl is quite small. There are larger forms available, but I haven't coughed up the bucks for those yet. I believe these are hand turned and made from fine wood, so a little pricy.