Tall Shino Basket

Dimensions: 12"h x 8" w

Price: $95.00

This basket is a combination of thrown and hand-built construction.

I chose a stoneware paper clay. The paper fiber content in the clay acts as a wonderful glue for assembling all the pieces.

The walls of the basket are thrown on a potter's wheel without a bottom. It is textured, cut in half and each half is opened out. It is reassembled in an oval shape and placed on a clay slab that becomes its base.

There are 4 hand-built clay feet that are attached to the base. The handle is made up of two pieces of clay that have been "tossed" (stretched), attached to each other, textured and then attached to the basket. Reinforcement lugs are attached and textured where the handle and the basket come together.

The pot is left to dry completely and then it is bisque fired. This firing leaves the piece durable enough to handle and porous enough to accept a glaze. The paper fibers are burned away.

Orange shino glaze was applied by pouring it into the pot and then pouring it out. Then the pot was dipped into the same glaze to cover the outside.

The piece is then fired to 2400 degrees F in a propane-fired kiln. The firing removes oxygen from the minerals in the clay and glaze, resulting in the rich colors that you see.