A ewer (ˈyo͞oər)(YOU-er) is a pouring vessel for vinegar, clear sauces, or oil. This was a look into how liquids pour out of a ceramic vessel. The process of glazing prohibits sharp corners, but a clean edge is necessary to cut a flowing stream at the spout. Without that clean "cut" drips will run down the outside edge.

A Project in Making
In sketching ideas, a geometric shape kept returning to my head. Over and over. Everything went back to these angular lines. 
Embracing inevitability, I roughed out some forms in plaster. From those, I modeled a version in CAD and 3D printed it.

The Steps:

 - Making a buck for the plaster molds
 - Making the plaster molds
 - Casting slip in them
 - Firing 
 - Glazing 
 - Firing again
 - Test and revise/repeat

I experimented with different opening angles, sizes, and edges, selecting for the best "pouring" ability. Being such a temperamental art, small variations in the natural process meant making the perfect ewer a numbers game. The more tries I had, the better the harvest. 
Also, thinking about it a lot helped. 

In Sum
I'll let the pictures tell most of the story here. This project was dangerous because it made me want to abandon all other aspirations and open a pottery studio and live off a home garden the rest of my life. 

Back to Top