BOWL - Throwing pottery.
Bowl is a round vessel with a deep base. It can be of any size and the wall can curve inwards, outwards or be straight. It is one of the most popular and important pieces of pottery, made for decorative and practical purposes.
The clay has been centered and opened by coordinating the rotation of the wheel with the movement of the hands, the left hand inside the bowl and the right outside and using them simultaneously to form the wall of the bowl. This movement is repeated until you reach the thickness and shape you require. To finish the bowl, sponge the inside while supporting it on the outside with your left hand then turn it upside down on the wheel so the footing can be finished.
Many products made on a wheel, depending on their size and shape, can become deformed when being cut to take them off the wheel as the clay is still too soft. If there is any danger of this happening it is better to work on a wheel bat, which acts as a tray so the piece can be moved and left to become leather hard, which means dry enough to be separated without being damaged so it can later be turned and the footing cleaned. As the clay dries it shrinks and this can separate it from the wheel. If not, it has to be sliced off with a cutting wire, which is pulled between the wheel and the bottom of the bowl.
Note: Everything to do with the first stages of working on the wheel with clay is in six files: Clay is the first and they are all linked.
Note: These are links to all the sections on throwing in alphabetical order.
Bowl Throwing / Cylinder Throwing / Jars Throwing / Lids (c) Throwing in pottery / Lids (d) Throwing with a cone in pottery / Lids Knobs (f) Attached / Plate Throwing / Stack – Throwing / Teapot (a) Body / Throwing – with a tube
Read more about: Pot lift which is very useful for moving bowls that have been thrown.
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