Handmade Seashell Pale Yellow Colored Porcelain Hanging Ornament. Ceramic Pottery.

Dennis's Handmade Seashell Ornament with Metallic Gold Accents Measures:

3-7/8" wide x 3-7/8" high x 1/2" depth

Porcelain edges are approximately 1/16" - 1/8" thick.

This Seashell Ornament is made with agateware pale apricot and white porcelain twisted together to create a very pale marbled effect. The effect is very subtle. A light orange seahorse in the center with a metallic gold small seashell to the right of the seahorse. One metallic gold sand dollar, and one metallic gold shell attached to the hanging rings on top.

This is the only Seashell Ornament with 2 hanging rings.
A braided hanging cord is looped through the two hanging rings.

Please Note - Some ornaments have hanging ribbon, and some have braided cord.

Some ornaments are rounder than others, depending on which seashell we used to make the plaster mold. This ornament has flatter sides.

NO Dishwasher, as this will wear away the gold finish.
NO microwave, as the overglaze contains 7% gold.
Not that you would place an ornament in the microwave.
Press molded and hand glazed by Dennis.
Colored Standard 365 Porcelain Clay.
Glazed with dinnerware safe, lead free glazes.
Kiln fired to cone 6 (2232 ºF)

Dennis's initials with happy face carved on the back side.

How it’s Made

We made our own plaster molds from a couple of large seashells.

These plaster molds were used to press colored porcelain clay, which we color ourselves, into the mold.

After sufficient drying time, the seashell pops out of the mold, and is ready for attachments. Dennis makes the smaller seashells from resin molds, and they are attached using colored porcelain slip (wet porcelain clay).

The small shells and sea critters are NOT hot glued on; they are fired in the hot kiln with the large seashell base.

After the initial bisque fire (1945ºF) a clear, lead free, dinnerware safe, glossy clear glaze is brushed on (usually 3 coats of the clear). The ornament is fired a second time at 2232ºF. After the second firing, the metallic gold overglaze is applied to desired shells, or sea critters, and in they go again for a third firing. The third firing at 1319ºF creates the shiny gold surface on selected attachments.

Hanging rings are attached, and little gold charms are strung with the hanging ribbon or braided ribbon.

Some ornaments have satin ribbons, and some ornaments have braided cord, we braid ourselves.