A Small Wheel-thrown Sgraffito Conch Shell Plate

Dennis's Wheel-thrown and Hand Drawn "Conch Shell" Sgraffito Plate Measures:

4" wide x 5/8" high.

This conch shell sgraffito plate can also be used as a catch all plate, trinket bowl, watch plate, or you can use it to serve a small dessert, such as a chocolate covered strawberry.

A decorative, functional small plate.

The aqua and white surface is glossy and smooth, and Dennis's hand drawn and sgraffito carved conch shell has lots of his own personal character.
The conch shell is hand carved out of turquoise underglaze, in the center of the plate.

(Please refer to "How It's Made" section by scrolling down).

Wheel thrown and hand glazed by Dennis.
Standard 365 Porcelain Clay.
Glazed with dinnerware safe, lead free glazes
Dishwasher, microwave and oven safe.
Kiln fired to cone 6 (2232 degrees Fahrenheit)
Dennis's initials with happy face carved on the bottom.

How It's Made

This plate was created on the potter's wheel using Standard 365 Porcelain clay that we color ourselves, 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.
The lead free, dinnerware safe clear glaze on top of the etched design, creates a smooth, shiny surface.

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