FACET - To slice off clay to form many angles.
ca: FACETA - Tallar l'argila per formar molt angles
es: FACETA - Cortar la arcilla para formar muchos ángulos.
Facet: in a dictionary is defined as “many sides of a cut stone or jewel”. In pottery it means to cut or beat a clay object, like a bowl or jar when the clay is soft, so as to form it with many sides. Work out the design you want, the size and shape and number of facets and make a bowl with thick walls, turn it upside down and to hold it in place on to a chuck or banding wheel.
Measure and mark the spaces of the facets into the soft clay. Slice off the parts with a wire cutter or looped modeling tool. The drawing shows a bowl with a circular inside, the faceted outside wall is cut away to form a polygon. It is attractive and shows the contrast between inside and outside.
Faceting is a method of altering the surface of a piece by cutting off slices that can vary in size, amount and verticality. This method is of oriental influence.
You can use knives, wires that can be held tensely and other cutting instruments, it is better to do the cutting while the piece can still be manipulated. You must calculate the cuts so the last coincides with the first.
This technique requires a large size of main wall to allow luting lengthwise. The angle and cuts must be smoothed to avoid the lines and angles being broken. If there are more than 12 slices it is better to use a ruler to measure and mark on the spacing. The cuts and facing can be extended to the base.
Photos (a-f) have been taken in the Pottery School of Núria Pié
Photo (g) has been lent by Monona Álveraz qnd photo (h) by
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