Making a Pinch Pot

This bowl was made by pinching with my hands from a square lump of clay. This time I used twice as much clay as I normally do just to see if I could pinch that much.

I pound this rectangular block of clay with the palm of my hands around and around to form a large rounded edge square. Click this link to see another description of how I've made a smaller pinch bowl.

I insert my thumb in the center and push down almost to the bottom to form the initial rough interior. At this point the bowl is thick and heavy on the bottom and the sides.

I start smoothing with my thumb in the inside and my fingers on the outside supporting the outside as I go with my other hand. This particular clay has a long working time so I don't have to worry about the bowl drying out while I work. Using other clays I might have to use a slightly damp sponge to moisten and smooth any surface cracking.

Little by little I work the clay at the bottom up to the top circling around the piece of clay as I go.

Sometimes I use my fingers to pull the clay slowly up to the top and smooth the inside of the bowl.

Slowly but surely the lump of clay starts to take the shape of a bowl.

Using my fingers as a gauge, I can feel how thin to make the sides and bottom of the bowl. I leave the rim of the bowl thick till the very end. This protects the edge from stretching out too much and ripping or cracking.

The bowl is almost thin enough. If I make it too thin I'll poke through the sides of the bowl. At the very end I tap all around the edge of the rim of the bowl to strengthen it. Then I smooth it back up to the same thickness as the rest of the bowl.

I had planned to make a pinched yarn bowl. In the end I just couldn't put a hole in this pinched bowl which is seven inches across and four inches high. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.