The seeming ease of finished pottery or earthenware made in the traditional way belies the enormous amount of work and skill, of intuition and hard labor that has gone into its creation. First, the clay must be mined from the earth at sites a considerable distance from the place Piper now called home, and often accessible only on foot.
Two weeks earlier, after having discussed the special vessel Mister Ithraides required, Piper had walked to her favored spot for collecting clay and meticulously dug out the red medium. It was then carried back to the cart and eventually pulled home over the rough and rocky terrain of the northern realm.
In its original form the clay was rocky and slate like, and large chunks were broken up to manageable size. It was then cleaned thoroughly by sifting and winnowing to get rid of all unwanted matter, such as twigs and pebbles. With a stone, it was crushed and pulverized. Temper, in the form of clay potsherds, sometimes hundreds of years old, was hand-ground to a fine powder, called Grog, and added to the clay to bind, strengthen, and prevent it from shrinking and cracking.
It could take many days to create the proper mixture of ground clay and pulverized potsherd temper. First blending dry, water was gradually added, and more temper, until the right consistency was achieved. This knowledge was acquired by experience and years of working the clay so that it "felt" right.
The scrying vessel was then begun by molding the base in a form called a basket, gourd, or bowl, which would support the bottom of the vessel. She would not use the wheel for throwing this piece. To reduce any chance of leakage, it was going to be built stronger and denser than what could be achieved upon the wheel.
The body was then built up by adding coils of clay that were shaped to the intended form. The length of time it took to build the vessel was longer, as time had to pass between the additions of each coil in order to prevent the sides from falling in. As the vessel's shape was defined and the lid fitted to perfection for an airtight seal, it was smoothed by hand scraping with a gourd, purchased in the market especially for this purpose. After drying to the right hardness, it was again scraped and smoothed with the gourd to its desired thinness, and finally sanded smooth with a stone.
At this stage, the mad, misfit potter prepared the slip—a creamy mixture of fine clay and water. Special fine, white bone-ash clay was used to make the brilliant white slip of pottery, and served as an ideal canvas for the salts that the potter would introduce into the fire. The potter brushed on several coats of this white slip, waiting for it to dry between each coat. After the final coat, it was again sanded with a stone.
The vessel was allowed to dry for four days prior to the firing, with the intent to fire the piece alone on the evening of the full moon. As the day approached, Piper collected the required items along with the velvet pouch of salts.
Two weeks earlier, after having discussed the special vessel Mister Ithraides required, Piper had walked to her favored spot for collecting clay and meticulously dug out the red medium. It was then carried back to the cart and eventually pulled home over the rough and rocky terrain of the northern realm.
In its original form the clay was rocky and slate like, and large chunks were broken up to manageable size. It was then cleaned thoroughly by sifting and winnowing to get rid of all unwanted matter, such as twigs and pebbles. With a stone, it was crushed and pulverized. Temper, in the form of clay potsherds, sometimes hundreds of years old, was hand-ground to a fine powder, called Grog, and added to the clay to bind, strengthen, and prevent it from shrinking and cracking.
It could take many days to create the proper mixture of ground clay and pulverized potsherd temper. First blending dry, water was gradually added, and more temper, until the right consistency was achieved. This knowledge was acquired by experience and years of working the clay so that it "felt" right.
The scrying vessel was then begun by molding the base in a form called a basket, gourd, or bowl, which would support the bottom of the vessel. She would not use the wheel for throwing this piece. To reduce any chance of leakage, it was going to be built stronger and denser than what could be achieved upon the wheel.
The body was then built up by adding coils of clay that were shaped to the intended form. The length of time it took to build the vessel was longer, as time had to pass between the additions of each coil in order to prevent the sides from falling in. As the vessel's shape was defined and the lid fitted to perfection for an airtight seal, it was smoothed by hand scraping with a gourd, purchased in the market especially for this purpose. After drying to the right hardness, it was again scraped and smoothed with the gourd to its desired thinness, and finally sanded smooth with a stone.
At this stage, the mad, misfit potter prepared the slip—a creamy mixture of fine clay and water. Special fine, white bone-ash clay was used to make the brilliant white slip of pottery, and served as an ideal canvas for the salts that the potter would introduce into the fire. The potter brushed on several coats of this white slip, waiting for it to dry between each coat. After the final coat, it was again sanded with a stone.
The vessel was allowed to dry for four days prior to the firing, with the intent to fire the piece alone on the evening of the full moon. As the day approached, Piper collected the required items along with the velvet pouch of salts.