Ceramic - Pottery Dictionary

by Susan Mussi

JARS - Throwing in pottery.

ca: GERROS - Tornejats en ceràmica.

es: JARRONES - Torneados en cerámica.

Turning a jar: Once the clay has been centered and coned into the basic shape needed, place your fingers round the outside and thumbs on the top and press them downwards to open and widen the mouth leaving the foot about 2cm. in thickness.

When the center is opened make it taller and wider with one hand supporting it on the outside against the pressure from the other inside. Repeat this movement as many times as needed to stretch the clay as much as possible maintaining the shape of a cylinder.

To make this spherical shape, push the inside out with the pressure from one hand and with the other, control from the outside forming the shape you desire, leaving it narrower at the top for the neck.

The neck can be cut down with a saw blade to the height required, then with a kidney of metal or wood level and smooth off the outside, remove all the marks left by the fingers and any excessive slip. Finally with a cutting wire separate the jar from the wheel.

The following photos go through the process of throwing a jar and they are Núria Pié working in her studio. Link to author – Nuria Pié

Note: These are links to all the sections on throwing in alphabetical order.
Bowl Throwing / Cylinder Throwing / Jars Throwing / Lids (c) Throwing / Lids (d) Throwing Cones / Lids Knobs (f) Attached / Plate Throwing / Stack – Throwing / Teapot (a) Body / Throwing – with a tube