Match Striker Andrew Clark

Appears in the Nov/Dec 2023 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated.

I started making match strikers two years ago while participating in a monthly pottery challenge at the community clay studio I teach at, East Mitchell Clay. The studio does a monthly challenge to encourage making things that are not in our normal schedule. We pick a non-traditional functional object and spend the month experimenting with that form. The exercise has become a great way to get students involved in the things our residents and teachers are making and encourage everyone to try out new ideas. Some past challenges have included salt-and-pepper shakers, coffee pour overs, and juicers. When match strikers came up as the challenge, I made a couple rough tests and realized that the textured lines I often use as surface decoration were perfect for lighting strike-anywhere matches. This functional coincidence combined with my surface technique encouraged me to go past the typical monthly challenge and really experiment with a variety of ideas for this object. 

Complex and Intriguing Forms 

That was two years ago and now match strikers have become one of my favorite objects to make. The rules that define a match striker are broad enough that a wide variety of forms and ideas can come together to make a unique design that also works well. They can be as simple as a basic container that holds matches or they can be much more complex versions with multiple containers, lids, trays, stands, etc. I have found it really fun to experiment with the combination of multiple containers and lids that all fit together to make one form. The possibilities of how all these components work and fit together make match strikers especially exciting for me as an artist. 

My match striker is made of four main parts. There are three small thrown vessels. One holds the unused matches, one holds the spent matches, and the third works as the striker itself. The fourth part acts as a lid for the unused match container with a finial on top. All these forms are very simple by themselves, but when put together they become a complex and interesting form. 

Throwing and Adding Texture 

Use 7 ounces of clay to throw a tall, thin cylinder. Sometimes centering small amounts of clay can be difficult. To help, I would suggest using a finger-centering technique. The finished cylinder should be 4 inches (10 cm) tall and have a diameter of 1⅞ inch (5 cm). Use a cut section of a serrated rib to create a series of groove textures on the cylinder’s surface (1). 

Next, use 11 ounces of clay to throw a slightly larger tall and thin cylinder. This one should be 4¼ inches (11 cm) tall and have an interior opening of 2 inches (5 cm) (2). The serrated rib tool is used again to make consistent textural grooves that will allow the strike-anywhere matches to light. Use one finger on the inside to support the wall while you slowly add pressure with the serrated-rib tool on the exterior. Continue to press in the textural grooves until you have marked the entire surface of the exterior (3). Tip: Metal serrated ribs can easily be cut into custom shapes to use for scoring or texturing. 

Next, use 12 ounces of clay to throw a short, rounded base form with a 2¼ inch (6 cm) opening (4). You can use your serrated-rib tool to add similar texturing to this piece, so all the pieces have a unifying aesthetic. 

Finally, throw a grape-sized chunk of clay into a small disk that is 2 inches (5 cm) wide and ¼ inch (0.5 cm) thick and attach a finial to the top (5). Address the surface in a similar fashion as the others. Allow all the pieces to stiffen to leather hard. 

Alterations and Attachments 

Using a tar-paper guide or template, cut a hole in the first thrown cylinder about ¼ inch (0.5 cm) from the top. This is the opening you will use to pull a match out of the striker (6). Bevel and round the edges of the cut opening. A rib can be used to soften the hard edges and then use your wet fingertips to smooth and clean up edges (7). 

Score and attach the disk with the finial to the top of the first thrown cylinder (8). This will be the container that holds the unused matches (9). 

Trim an indented ledge into the bottom of the second thrown cylinder to a width of 2¼ inches (6 cm) (10). This ledge will act like a gallery or flange of a lid and lock in place on top of the rounded base form. Trim the foot of the base form and cut off any excess clay at the rim to allow the second cylinder to fit into it like a lid (11). 

Gather all the finished parts and get ready for assembly (12). If everything was measured correctly, the small cylinder should fit inside the larger one now and the two cylinders together should fit on top of the base like a lid. Some of the intricate fitting details take time and constant measurements to make all the parts line up correctly (13). The match strikers are now complete and ready for surface decoration. 

Surface Details 

I finish the surface of my work with terra sigillata. I brush on various colors once the pieces are bone dry. After bisque firing, I use a black underglaze wash that I then wipe away to emphasize all the surface impressions that were made while the clay was still wet. This produces a matte finish of colored terra sigillata with a black outline of underglaze on all the edges. I then use a black liner glaze on the interior and fire to cone 6. 

What started as a simple monthly challenge two years ago has now become one of my favorite objects to make and one of the most popular pieces requested by customers. I have continued designing new match strikers and exploring how multiple vessels can interact together as one functional object. 

Andrew Clark lives in Jackson, Tennessee, where he works in his home studio. He teaches at East Mitchell Clay and works at Companion Gallery. To see more, visit www.andrewclarkpottery.com or follow him on Instagram at @andclark.