Chartreuse Sand Dollar Sgraffito Bud Vase

Dennis's Wheel-thrown Chartreuse Colored Porcelain Bud Vase with Sgraffito Sand Dollars Measures:
2" wide x 3-5/8“ high.
The hole for the flowers is 1-1/4" wide
Holds approximately 2.66 ounces of liquid, or 1/3 cup.

This little bud vase was created by Dennis on the potter's wheel.
Utilizing the sgraffito technique, he incorporated five sand dollars around the circumference of the vase.
(Please see "How It's Made" section for sgraffito technique description.

OUTSIDE:
Rich chartreuse porcelain, we color ourselves.
A band of white underglaze was applied to the bottom portion of the vase, and five sand dollars etched into the underglaze.
Dark Purple, Smokey Merlot and a flux layered to create a drippy effect of blue, frosty white and some tiny red specks on and just below the rim.

INSIDE:
Glossy, mostly white with light blue and purple flecks dripping down to the inside center.
Swirl on bottom inside is subtly visible.

RIM:
Dark, glossy purple Smokey Merlot.

Standard 365 Porcelain
Food Safe, lead free glazes.
Clean by hand or dishwasher.
Fired to cone 6 (2232 degrees Fahrenheit).

Dennis's initials and happy face engraved on bottom.

How It’s Made

This bowl was created on the potter's wheel using colored porcelain clay, and a carving technique called sgraffito.

Sgraffito is an Italian word meaning - "to scratch". 
A layer of slip (wet clay) is applied to the surface of the pottery, while the vessel is leather hard. (not wet and not yet bone dry).
A design is carved into the wet slip using a metal ball tool. This etching reveals the colored porcelain clay underneath the colored slip, that the pottery is wheel-thrown or hand built with. 
When creating a sgraffito piece of pottery, the design is not flush to the surface.
The colored slip is slightly raised, and the etched design does not get filled in.

All of our pottery is wheel-thrown and/or handbuilt in our North Carolina home studio.