20 March 2009

Gaiwans & Pitchers, Cups, a Jar, and an Ugly Teapot

New works out of the kiln. I'm still figuring out the best curves and knob styles for gaiwans, ones that avoid burning heat but are still comfortable to hold and functional. I'm happy with the glazes, mostly.

Gaiwans & Pitchers:

Black and Blue Gaiwan:
This started as a project for ABX from Teachat. He wanted a "drippy" blue and black gaiwan that was somewhat small and wider.

Black and Blue Gaiwan

I'm really pleased with the result, but I need to use less blue glaze next time. First, I think the exterior of the piece doesn't utilize the black as negative space, not as well as it could. Second, the glaze dripped onto the foot of the piece, and I had to chip the foot to get the piece off the kiln shelf.

But, the interior is great:

Black and Blue Gaiwan


Mother of Pearl Gaiwan with Slip Decoration:
Love this glaze. This gaiwan pours well without burning my fingers, but it's a little wide. Small hands might have trouble with it.

Mother of Pearl Set 2 - gaiwan Mother of Pearl Set 2 - gaiwan front view 2


Mother of Pearl Set, Ming-lidded Gaiwan and Pitcher:
The lid's not quite deep enough, and it gets somewhat hot. Thankfully, though, the pitcher pours well.

Mother of Pearl Set 1 - gaiwan and pitcher
Mother of Pearl Set 1 - gaiwan lid

Closeup of the pitcher glaze:
Mother of Pearl Set 1 - glaze closeup


Mother of Pearl Pitcher:
An experiment with throating the spout. Still need to test the pour against other pitchers I've made.

Mother of Pearl Set 2 - pitcher aerial view



Cups:

Several sets of mother-of-pearl glazed cups. The set of three has thicker glaze, hence the foggier texture. The thinner glaze and ribs on the other cups bring out the pinks and blues of the glaze. The cups are quite small and suitable for gongfu.

Mother of Pearl Cup Set 1

Mother of Pearl Cup Set 2 - one pair

Mother of Pearl Cup Set 2 - second pair



Jar:

Tri-lobed Jar in Green Satin Glaze
This glaze usually doesn't move, but it moved enough to stick to the shelf, so the foot is slightly damaged. But, the rest of it is gorgeous. I really like the shape. Two lids for better tea storage ability.

Green Tri-lobed Jar

Inner lid:
Green Tri-lobed Jar



My First Teapot:

Well, I tried. The spout and handle are too big and the glaze went orange. The spout torqued in the firing, so it's slightly crooked in addition to being oversized and hideous. Throwing spouts, I learned, requires a lot of skill that I do not yet have.

The handle, while it looks disproportionate, is comfortable to hold. That's probably the only plus.

Ugly Teapot

13 comments:

Hobbes said...

I do love the inside of the blue piece, and the pitcher is marvellous.

Circle Community Acupuncture said...

I like the white/pearl gaiwan. Very elegant.

Ken said...

Great stuff. The mother of pearl is my favorite set.

waltpark said...

Is that blue barium based, or cobalt/rutile? I'm always afraid to do the barium blues, even though they're pretty because of the leaching.

On the lids, have you tried knobs that flare out? Vertical/cone knobs can be slippery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxyZ6qk0w34

Maybe that will help you with your teapot technique?

Bearsbearsbears said...

Walt,

It's a cobalt/rutile glaze. Do you have a pic of the knob style that flares out?

Thanks for the vid. It'll be a while before i can throw a teapot in 4.5 minutes! :)

~j

waltpark said...

I didn't mean you should do it like that guy. That was a demo anyway, and the pot he made isnt really a pot. If he fired it, the handle and spout would probably crack off, and there's no hole, so it's just a jar with a handle and spout.

But what you can take away is the technique in throwing the spout and handle. Also... that technique he used to roll the gallery in from the outside... is outstanding, and has made doing gallery type lids so much easier for me.

It's just easier to understand how something is made, when you see it.

As for the knob... I mean most gaiwans have a flared out knob. Like this

http://multipleinfusions.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/ancient-phoenix-design-gaiwan-and-cup.jpg

On yours its vertical, or coned. So if your fingers are a little wet, or something, it's easy to drop it.

ABx said...

I really like the mother of pearl cup set 2 -- very elegant -- and, of course, the blue gaibei :D

Imen said...

How much ash does it take to make enough glaze for a set of gaiwan, pitcher and 4 cups?

I have saved every flake of ashes which comes to about 1/2 lb since I last saw you. Hardwood charcoals don't produce much ashes. :b

Bearsbearsbears said...

Imen:

1/2 lb is great! Thank you! Now I have to find a time to see you and pick it up. Maybe this Saturday if you're at the store then. :)

~j

Imen said...

Jason,

How about this or next Sunday? This saturday is my recovering day from sickness. Next Saturday is Spring event day at the mall.

Imen said...

ah! My store is closed for Easter Sunday. It'd have to be next sunday.

klineola said...

I love the mother of pearl!

I'm glad I found your blog, and look forward to reading more!

Bearsbearsbears said...

Thanks, Michael!