The herald., 1894-12-15
POTTERS AT WORK.
SKILL WITH WHICH VESSELS ARE
iHAPED FROM THE CLAY.

A Description Which Recalls Longfellow's
."song of the Potter" "Turn, Turn, My
| Wheel: All Things Must Change to sono-
thing New, to Something Strange"
, Let us watch potter at his wheel Tho
apparatus before him is simple, consisting
Of q bench lot into tho top of which is a
| horizontal wheel revolving by traadlc.
At his right is a tank of water near which
rro piled Jumps Of finely ground wet clay,
wet to the right consistencc Each weighs
! u pounds.
At his left is board holding six pots
Just from the wheel. Behind him is "a
framework on which boards are placed as
fast as fille,i, that the pots may dry before
baking. They are the 8 inch hanging
pots, and the making of one includes
nearly all tho processes in use for making
any kind of flowerpot expecting those
made in molds.
The potter drops q lump of clay on the
center of the moving wheel, shaping it
with both hands to tho form of short,
thick cylinder, which, while turning even
|. ly and rapidly, is followed at the top by
the fingers and widened slightly, leaving
1t like rude cup several inches high. A
few downward strokes around tho bc-e
spread out the allowance of clay for the
saucer fat upon the wheel.
Then this whirling cup begins to rise
higher and thinner under the potter fin
gers, the circle of the rim growing wider
and wider till the cup changes to an old
fashioned wincglass, with its fiat stand
ard very short, thick stem and funnel
! shaped upper part. But this form alters
rs, with wet fingers and sometimes with a
wet wooden scraper, the potter presses
against the inner side till, rising higher
and swelling outward it gains beauti-
fully rounded outline and is the desired
size. The edge is turned over at right an
giles and wet and smoothed with the
scraper till q perfect rim All inch or more
wide is formed. Then for the first time
tho wheel is still, while the drainage hole
! just above the saucer is punched with a
! pointed stick from tho outside thus leav-
| ing the outer surface smooth, though the
! inner is rough
| In the same way the holes for chains in
the rim of tho pot arc made, the wheel
revolving slowly while tho distance be-
tween them is measured accurately and
quickly by the eye.
Next tho rim of tho saucer is turned up
ward and smoothed like the upper rim.
The pot is now ready for the finishing
touch and turns very slowly as the rim is
crimped with thumb and finger the num-
Der of scallops coming out even at the end,
with no gap between or any too near to-
gcther
With a quick motion wet string, held
taut, cuts the bottom Of the saucer from
the wheel, and the finished pot is lifted to
| the board.
| The whole process has taken only 1
minute and 12 seconds. Truly the work
seems done as by magic. 1t is as fascinab-
ing to watch as glass blowing, being not
an exhibition of strength or of mechanical
precision, but of pure skill in handiworiS.
Most of the fowerpots now made arc
shaped in plaster of paris molds. Thcsa
are in three sections shaped inside like
the bottom and sides of pot, arc very
thick and are held together by means oil
corresponding projections and depressions
in their edges. Often the inner surface
has q fancy pattern, which, being depress-
ed into the mold, appears raised on the
pot Rustic pots are made in this way. a
fayorite design is a vine around the rim,
the rest of the surface showing a rcpousse
| effect.
The process of molding is short and
comparatively easy. There is the same
horizontal wheel, though, turned by mn
chinery. The mold holding tho right
quantity of clay is placed firmly upon the
wheel. While in rapid motion tho oper-
ator presses against the inside a thin
wooden piece suspended from above, shap-
| ed like half section of the inside of the
| pot. Held firmly against the whirling
mold it forces the clay into the desired
/ shape in few seconds
| After the porus mold has absorbed tho
| moisture the pot is taken out and whrled
rapidly, while cutting metal edge is
; held against it, trimming the ragged
I edge of tho rim and throwing it off in a
thin clay ribbon.
The part of the mold not fitting perfect
ly, the clay forced into the cracks has to bs
cut away, after which the pot is ready for
baking.
Pieces to be glazed ON the inside have a
| thin brown glazing mixture poured into
them, shaken and turned out. When bak
3D. they are ready for decoration.
The pots to be colored are dipped In
largo pail of paint and turned to drain
| upon q rack over shallow box which
| slants toward and drains into another
| PAIL which, when full, is emptied into tho
first, thus applying the paint evenly and
| quickly and with little waste. Tho inner
edges are painted by hand before the ware
| is baked
Around the great circular furnaces are
built thick parallel walls of tho kilns,
reaching to the ceiling, and in this space,
perhaps three or four feet wide, the pottery
ao be burnt is carefully piled, the thick
doors shut, the heat gradually raised to
the right point and as slowly cooled.
Large howerpots arc piled one on an
other, every other pot being inverted, Civ.
| ing the effect of rows of fantastic pillars.
i'helvcs built of blocks of fire brick support
other kinds of pottery. Saucers ale set on
their rims in horizontal rows.
The unpainted clay wares require for
their first baking a heat of 2. 800 degrees
ami the decorated wares heat Of 1000
| degrees The degree of heat is estimated
by experimenting with substances which
are known to melt at certain temperatures
Around these furnaces glowing with
| white heat the wares are kept "a hOurs for
| first baking and from four to six hours
| for subsequent firing as required after
decoration.
The red color of baked clay is due to the
! presence in the clay of oxide of iron.--
| Outlook.
The King and His Valet.
I