{"product_id":"a-buckthorn","title":"Sea Buckthorn Berries Decorative Functional Porcelain Pottery Bowl","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSculpted Sea Buckthorn Berries with Leaves Bowl\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeasures\u003c\/strong\u003e: 4-1\/4\" wide x 4-1\/2\" high\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you include the dark, glossy rim, this bowl has five (5) distinct bands of patterns  and colors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor some reason when I make bowls with berries on them, they end up with a lump, or bubble SOMEWHERE on the bowl.\u003cbr\u003eThis bowl is NO exception!\u003cbr\u003eIn the main photo - second bird from the LEFT - there is a bump on the surface.\u003cbr\u003eIt doesn't affect the function of the bowl, it just gives me a reason to mark the price down a bit, as not everyone likes bumpy birds.\u003cbr\u003eAlso, if the rim seems a bit out-of-round, into the \u003cstrong\u003eslightly\u003c\/strong\u003e oval shape, it's because SOMEONE \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e(me)\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e tapped it in its raw state. \u003cem\u003e(greenware state).\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eEven if you didn't notice these two incidentals, it's important for me to describe them, as I know they are there.\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWe color our own porcelain clay, and the porcelain for this bowl is a very pale Titanium Yellow. Just enough to warm up the stark whiteness of the porcelain.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet's start at the bottom, \u003cem\u003eright at the foot ring\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eI am starting something new to our handmade porcelain pottery - a narrow footring.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSometimes I feel that handmade pottery has clunky footings; the pottery that HAS footings. Some potters keep flat pot bottoms, but for some reason, I am partial to a footring.\u003cbr\u003eThere are many technical reasons why footings are important, however, I am drawn to the \u003cem\u003eaesthetic\u003c\/em\u003e of the footring. \u003cspan\u003eIt adds a visual element, defining the base of the pot and creating a more finished look. I also like how the footring raises the pot up off the surface, and allows a smaller area to touch the surface on which the pot sits.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eLess scratches, perhaps? I think the pottery is better protected from scratches, as well as the \"table\" the pottery sits on.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eAlso, I sand all of our pottery on a potter's wheel, mounted diamond disk. As the wheel whirls around, it sands the footring very smooth, hopefully avoiding scratches.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNow that we have our footring explained, I'll go through the process of each decorative band.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eJumping over the first band from the bottom, and starting at the second band from the bottom - created while the clay was still in its raw state:\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTwo bands up from the footring is the sculpted Sea Buckthorn Berry and leaf band.\u003cbr\u003eThis band was formed while the clay was still in its raw state; after the bowl was wheel-thrown, but before the initial bisque firing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan class=\"Yjhzub\"\u003eBranches were carved into leather hard clay in the direction berries would be attached to them, around the circumference of the bowl, filled with light brown colored porcelain clay, and smoothed flush to the surface \u003cem\u003e(mishima technique).\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI crafted a small \"berry mold\" by pushing \u003cem\u003e(multiple times)\u003c\/em\u003e a large, round ball tool into leather hard clay \u003cem\u003e(damp clay; not wet, not bone dry)\u003c\/em\u003e. All I did was wait for this mold to dry, and it was ready to use. No firing needed. No special plaster mold. Just \u003cem\u003e\"Necessity is the Mother of Invention\"\u003c\/em\u003e type of clay mold.\u003cbr\u003eOrange colored porcelain was pressed into this homemade mold, and the berries placed onto the leather hard clay using slip \u003cem\u003e(wet clay)\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003cbr\u003eA small dot was then stamped into the plump berry forming the\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"Yjhzub\"\u003ebobble at the berries' tips.\u003cbr\u003eGreen colored porcelain was rolled into a narrow strips and strategically placed around the berries.\u003cbr\u003eThis entire band is covered with three thin coats of lead-free, dinnerware safe clear glaze.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"Yjhzub\"\u003eThe bowl was then bisque fired to Cone 04. \u003cem\u003e(1945 degrees Fahrenheit), and decoration continued:\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eNOW, back to the first band\u003c\/em\u003e up from the footring\u003c\/strong\u003e; a checkered pattern.\u003cbr\u003eAfter the first firing \u003cem\u003e(Cone 04; 1932 degrees Fahrenheit)\u003c\/em\u003e, a lot of very narrow tape was strategically adhered to the bisque pot. Each strip of tape points to the center of the bowl's bottom.\u003cbr\u003eUnderglaze was applied to each check, created by the negative space between the narrow tape lines. Alternating the buckthorn orange and a lighter hue of the green buckthorn leaves - 2 coats of underglaze on each check.\u003cbr\u003eThis band is left without a clear coat on top, so the surface feels a little rougher than the glazed areas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe third band\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e up from the footring; waxwing birds, as waxwings are frequent visitors to the Sea Buckthorn. Each of the 16 birds were hand drawn onto the bisqueware with a pencil, and carefully, with very small brush, glazed around the pencil lines. The pencil lines burn off in the second kiln firing.\u003cbr\u003eI did attempt to keep the birds from eating the Sea Buckthorn berries while I was working, BUT I think they ate a few berries!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe fourth band\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e up, or the second band down from the rim, is a taped geometric design constructed with very thin detailing tape. Each line has to be glazed individually, or the glaze could bleed under the tape design, leaving the lines jagged.\u003cbr\u003eThree coats of glaze for each negative space the adhesive lines formed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe fifth band\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e up, is the rim, described below.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBOWL INSIDE:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eThe inside of this Sea Buckthorn bowl is a very fluid, glossy white glaze.\u003cbr\u003eAt the inside rim, where the white glaze overlaps the dark red Cordovan rim, a band of amber and purply-blue speckles was created; just below the Cordovan rim.\u003cbr\u003eThe swirl at the bottom inside is clearly visible through the white glaze.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRIM:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eGlossy dark red Cordovan \u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWheel-thrown Standard 365 Porcelain Clay.\u003cbr\u003eGlazed with lead-free, dinnerware safe glazes.\u003cbr\u003eFired to Cone 6 \u003cem\u003e(2232º Fahrenheit)\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003cbr\u003eI recommend washing these hand crafted pieces by hand.\u003cbr\u003eMy signature is engraved on the bottom of the bowl.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAll of our handmade pottery is either wheel-thrown or handbuilt in our North Carolina home studio.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tromppottery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43628867518500,"sku":"TBowl012","price":265.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0709\/4481\/7188\/files\/Buckthorn2.png?v=1772223711","url":"https:\/\/tromppottery.com\/products\/a-buckthorn","provider":"Tromppottery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}