“ONE PIECE Small Lid Jar” with “Snow on the Moon” Glaze Throwing on the Potter’s Wheel

Today's project is a one-piece small lid jar with the snow on the moon glaze. The one-piece series is one of my favorite techniques. It involves throwing a pot and then separating it into parts at the greenware stage. This jar has a small lid which means I need to throw a narrower top and then close the pot. Compared to the flash lid jar, this style requires more practice. However, the elegant shape makes it worth trying. I use my standard glaze snow on the moon for this pot so I need to use black clay for this project. I'm using 600 grams of stoneware black clay on a small throwing pot which is attached to the wheel with a thin layer of clay. First, I make a cone shape to equalize the clay's density and center it simultaneously. Using both palm edges, I press the bottom of the cone then bring the clay to the top. My right palm edge presses the top of the cone at the 5 o'clock position, pushing diagonally downwards. I repeat these actions with my left hand slightly higher than the right to create a spiral effect. My right thumb shapes the top of the cone to prevent a crater from forming. Now I can see the clay becoming more elastic and smooth. The clay is ready for the next stage. To make a flat top disc shape, I press the top down while my left hand keeps the side wall straight. The disc is about 10 centimeters in diameter. I apply plenty of water and then make a center hole, sliding my right middle finger down from off-center to the center to avoid being dragged by centrifugal force. On the second pass, I leave a 7 millimeter bottom thickness and slide my middle fingertip along the bottom. When my middle finger touches the wall, I dig in about 5 millimeter and lift the clay along the wall. I repeat this action until the wall thickness is about 2 centimeters, which is easy to manipulate with fingers. I compress and flatten the bottom with a wooden rib to help prevent an S-crack. Time to stretch the wall. I position my right ring finger at the 9 o'clock position as a reference point for the other fingers. My right middle and index fingers align with it to keep the wall straight. My left middle finger is on the opposite side of the wall, slightly higher than the right ring finger, receiving pressure and sealing the wall each time. I interlock my thumbs to make both hands work as one tool, controlling the wall thickness. When I reach near the top, my right ring finger takes a higher position to keep the top straight. At the top, I compress the edge from three directions to make it firm. I smooth and compress the outside of the wall evenly. I use a wooden tool to stretch the wall from the inside with my left hand upside down at the 6 o'clock position. My left index finger acts like my right ring finger in the standard stretching position. I keep the bar straight and steady, then slowly slide my left hand up along the bar. The pressure point is on the left index finger. I make a good internal corner with the wooden bar. I mark about 7 cm from the top, which will be the starting point for squeezing. I make a diamond shape with my hands to create 6 pressure points, evenly spreading the tension on the clay. Then I slowly slide my hands upwards while squeezing. I squeeze again from the marked point. Then I mark the point where the lid will start. To close the top, I start squeezing from the middle point of the lid. The closing technique is the same. I squeeze the wall with a diamond shaped hand, then pinch the edge from both sides to smooth the surface when I reach the top. I close the hole completely. My left middle finger covers the hole while my right index finger shapes the dome, allowing trapped air inside to hold the shape. Now the pot is closed so I can shape it into a jar. I push a lid catch with the end of a takeaway chopstick. Today I use a double-sized one. I need an air vent hole since the jar is completely sealed now. If I forget this, the jar will crack during the drying process. I trim the bottom corner ensuring the cutting string creates a nice round circle at the base. A perfectly shaped circle is vital for tap centering. I wet the bottom of the pot to attach it to the wheel. I seal the bottom corner to the wheel to secure the attachment. I separate the lid and the jar with a thin needle. The needle angle is 45 degree, giving enough clay to manipulate both parts. I use a trimming spinner to hold the lid under my left fingers. This small disc has a bearing between the upper and the lower parts, so the lower part spins with the pot while the top part stays still under my finger. It's a useful tool to save my fingers. I use wooden tools to shape the lid. Wood doesn't fight with clay. It nourishes it, so I like to use it for the details. I polish the inside with a wooden tool. This clay is groggy. If I leave the surface as trimmed, the glaze result will be slightly rustic. The choice is personal taste. Either way looks nice. I check how much I can trim the jar. This is a bamboo chopstick sharpened thinly. Bamboo is a good material. The lid fits nicely, so I finish off the edge. I trim the side line to give a clean cut impression of the design. I finish with a metal kidney. I round the edge. If I keep the sharp edge, it will show a line under the glaze, which is also interesting. For the snow on the moon glaze, I want a soft image, so I remove the sharpness. I trim the bottom, so secure the pot with three pieces of clay. I make a center hole for my finger rest and trim a one centimeter foot ring. Then take a corner off to prevent chipping. I mark one centimeter from the edge, which becomes the foot ring. Then I trim multiple circles towards the center and remove peaks to avoid a wavy surface, which can occur when the trimming tool catches clay Now I leave the pot to dry completely, then viscify it. I wax the parts. I wipe the surface first to remove all the dust. I check the attaching points where they should be unglazed. I use a small calligraphy brush with a pointed end to give a fine wax line on the edge. The inside corner of the foot ring is difficult to clean, so I pay extra attention. This is a simple gloss white glaze that works well with black clay. I pour the glaze inside first. Now I pour the glaze randomly outside. I call this glaze, snow on the moon, one of my standard lineups. When I used this method the first time, I thought if there was snow on the moon, it might look like this. After pouring the glaze, I stick wet newspaper on the pot. Then I pour the glaze a second time, creating random layers of glaze. I peel all the newspapers off. Then I remove some glaze with wet newspaper to create more unevenness. I keep the lid simple. This is the second color. I use blue ceradon, but any color would be interesting on a black and white canvas. Cleaning is important, especially around the lid. I'm going to fire with the lid on. The one-piece technique for a small lid jar adds another dimension to this technique. Please try it and enjoy the process. Thank you for joining me today. If you enjoyed watching this pottery process, please click like and subscribe. Your comments motivate me for my next video. Happy creating and I look forward to seeing you in the next pottery video.