Throwing “ONE PIECE – Carved Trinket Jar” on potter’s wheel

Today's project is a one-piece curved trinket jar. This is my favorite technique, one-piece, where I throw the lid under the jar as a single pot. This way I can achieve a perfect fit. I'm using 700 grams of black stoneware clay on a small throwing bat. A dump throwing mat is placed underneath to keep it steady. First, I shape the clay into a cone to even out its density and center it at the same time. With my right thumb at the 5 o'clock position, I press the top of the cone, pushing diagonally downwards. To bring the clay up, I hold the base with both hands. My little fingers push the bottom inwards as I slowly lift the clay upwards. My left hand maintains the cone shape, stopping it from turning into a mushroom. I repeat this process until the cone becomes smooth and elastic. Once the clay feels smooth beneath my hands, it's time to form the base. The base is now about 10 cm wide. I create a center hole with my right middle finger, sliding it from just off-center towards the middle. This lets my finger naturally find the center. I then pull my right middle finger slightly outwards, about 5 mm, before bringing the clay upwards. I deepen the hole with my middle finger and start bringing the clay up. When I reach the corner, I press my fingertip into the wall to bring the clay upwards. My left hand keeps the cylinder steady while my right fingers work. I repeat this motion until the base is about 7 mm thick. Once the bottom is ready, I compress it with a wooden whip. This creates a flat, dense base, and helps prevent an s-crack. The opening is now wide enough for my left hand. I begin forming a tall cylinder. My right ring finger presses at the base of the cylinder, while my left middle finger positions just above it inside, receiving the pressure. The right ring finger is centered to the filling action. All other fingers, including those on my left hand, are positioned in relation to this finger. To keep the thickness even, I keep my hands steady with my thumbs interlocked. For this project, I need a small, thick-walled cylinder, so I stop here. Before closing the top, I remove water from inside, then use a wooden bar to clean the internal corner and wall. My left hand flips upside down, and my left index finger gently presses the bar, sliding it upwards. To close the top, I mark a line about two fingers from the rim. This is my starting point for closing. I make a diamond shape with both hands, gently squeezing the cylinder from the marked line and sliding upwards. As the clay gathers, I pinch it from both sides to smooth it out. I repeat until the top is too small to use both hands in a diamond shape. Now I switch to using just one finger on the right side. My left hand keeps its shape, and one right finger pushes into the center. At this stage, my left finger simply supports while my right middle finger works to close the top. Applying pressure from both sides can sometimes cut off excess clay too soon and make the closure too thin. This way I can control this crucial point better than trying to close the top with both hands. Now the cylinder is closed, I can shape the pot easily. I want the top almost flat, so I alternate shaping the top and the side. I use a takeaway chopstick to make a channel. I push the stick in from the side, where I want the separation between the lid and the pot. As I'll carve the pot later, this channel needs to be deeper. Next, I make an air vent hole to release trapped air. Otherwise, the pot could crack as it dries and shrinks. I trim the bottom corner so the cutting wire slides smoothly underneath, leaving a clean round base. The throwing process is finished, I leave the pot overnight to dry to the leather hard stage. The next day, the pot is ready for trimming. I wet the bottom to help it grip the wheel. Once centered, I press the bottom edge to the wheel to secure it. I hold the needle at the 9 o'clock position in the lower part of the channel. My right middle finger absorbs all the force from the spinning pot. The wall thickness is 1 cm. I trim the top for an even surface to set the lid for trimming. I clean away excess clay inside the dome first. This silver tool is a trimming spinner. It spreads the pressure from my left finger so the top disc stays under my finger while the bottom disc spins with the pot. Now I trim the recessed edge. I need a deep recess for carving, so I trim from the outside to adjust the fringe. Compressing the recess has two benefits. It strengthens the area and smooths the surface. This small extra step makes the fit much nicer. I mark the lid's recess position to trim the pot up to this mark. My hands are interlocked, working together as one tool. I use my middle and ring fingers for fine adjustment to the tools. Now the lid fits perfectly onto the pot. I polish the trimmed area to strengthen it and improve the fit with the lid. To ensure a good fit in any position, I spin the wheel slowly while holding the lid still. I trim the bottom corner to release the pot from the wheel. I press the metal kidney onto the wheel and slide it under the pot. The last trimming is the foot ring. I center the pot on the wheel. I secure it with three pieces of clay. I use the trimming spinner again here to save my fingers. I start with the bottom corner. Once again, my left thumb touches my right, making my right hand very steady. I'm going to make a concealed foot ring. I trim the top flat. Then I trim a line 7 mm from the edge. Next, I trim several circles inside the ring. Then I trim the peaks to make it flat. This helps minimize resistance between the clay and the tool, which can otherwise create a wavy surface often. Finally, I polish the surface for a nicely compressed finish. The base structure is complete. I've made the pot hole thicker than usual so I can carve a deep hole. All the marks are made freehand. I like the broken edges. These marks give a very organic appearance. After the biscuit is added, I replace the pot. This example is the one without carving, so you can see the detail clearly in the video. I'll work the little pieces first. The pot itself is the best chuck for this. I cover the overlapping part of the lid and pot with wax. I use a Japanese calligraphy brush, which holds wax very well. The pot needs waxing at the rim and the overlapping part inside. Then the flittering. I use a glossy white glaze for this black clay pot. The contrast is quite striking. I glaze the inside first. Then I align the lid and pot joining mark to set the position correctly. I pour the glaze slowly in one spot. Then pass the pot under the glaze. This white glaze doesn't run much, but I still need to be careful with the thickness. Too much glaze will fuse the lid to the body and ruin the whole process. This is blue glaze in the slip trailer. It's an easy way to add an interesting accent. To open the lid, I cut the joint with a metal kidney. Without this, the glaze can easily flake off, and the flowing water effect on the pot would disappear. I carefully clean the waxed areas with a damp sponge. Especially the corners. The lid needs extra care. I always consider gravity on the glaze. The thicker area will run, so I remove some glaze with a damp sponge without disturbing the pattern. Thank you for joining me today. I hope you enjoyed watching this pottery process. The one piece technique is my favorite. It gives me endless inspiration and possibilities. Please leave a comment. It really motivates me for the next video. Happy creating, and see you next time.