While my fancy-pants wares may allude otherwise, I consider myself a functionalist. From a coming-of-age where backpacking, rock climbing, general outdoor dirt-baggery, and the frequent schlepping of belongings between divorced parents’ houses, my things needed to earn both their bearing on gravity and their consumption of real estate in my pack. I love nice things: ingenious design of objects and spaces that evolve upon history, craft, and regional traditions. I love innovative gear that functions intuitively with versatility and durability. And I especially love when an aesthetic is authentic—expressed through function, material, and place.
The teapot may be the quintessential ceramic craft object. To make one is to unfurl an entire Russian doll’s contents of challenges with the multiple components, asymmetrical balance, and functional considerations. It’s an exceptionally complex task to make all these various instruments harmonize together in their differing visual sounds.
A guiding principle for my work has always been unity. How does the foot rim relate to the lip rim, which relates to the body, which is then a canvas for an in-relation glaze? And then we have a teapot, an animation-in-real-time practice, trying on the different spouts, lids, handles, all while analyzing the form, negative space, movement, and the overall character.
Re-Imagining Teapot Design
My current teapot design evolved out of considerations of function and a re-contextualization of what a handle is. For the function, it was simply that I generally find more comfort holding and pouring a teapot when the handle is overhead, but I find this style is a challenge to fill and clean. I sought a hybrid model where the handle was in a heightened ergonomic position, but where I could still have open access for adding water, tea, and emptying it out after use. I tried more traditional loop-type handles with similar positioning and they showed some promise—though not without various slumping calamities. At some point, I was sticking temporary pieces of clay on the pot in a sketch-like manner, and decided to go with a solid piece moving up and curving over. It felt gutsy and exciting, opening new visual/formal possibilities while examining what makes for a pleasant grasp. Various climbing holds: jugs, pockets, pinches, and crimpers all came to mind while sculpting the “handle.”
Workflow
For teapots, I typically work in a series of six. Nearly every step requires some drying and firming of the clay to support consecutive processes. Having numerous pieces to work on lets me further practice and refine each technique while giving me a 1–2 hour focus time for each step.
Clay Preparation
With my porcelain, the firmness of the clay I start with (I prefer a medium-firm consistency) has a direct result on how thin I can throw the walls. For teapots, my goal is a somewhat thin, consistent wall just thick enough to maintain the structure of the form and support a tall handle and lid without any slumping. These are the clay weights I start with:
Teapot base/body: 2.25 pounds (1 kg)
Teapot shoulders/lid socket: 1 pound (0.5 kg)
Lids/infusers: ⅝ pound (0.3 kg)
Approximately 6 pounds for handbuilding (2.7 kg)
Throwing the Body and Shoulders
I throw the teapot body just as I would a ramen-sized bowl with the exception that I leave a thicker ridge/gallery area below the rim where I will attach the top piece (1). The reason I throw these separately is that I can better maintain wall thinness and will utilize the rim of the body as a decorative element in the final form.
I throw the top/shoulder of the teapot separately and right side up. I open the clay all the way down to the wheel head and pull the ring out, while maintaining constant downward compression, into a circle larger than the diameter of the teapot body. I, then, pull the clay in and up toward the middle (if there’s too much, I’ll cut it off with a needle tool) to a set, measured diameter of 3¼ in. (8.3 cm). Then, I use a rib to depress the rim into the lid gallery (2).
Trimming
I trim the foot of the body as I do all my bowls. I want a foot diameter that balances elegance and stability (3). I trim these on the wet side (sure that the lip isn’t getting too dry) because I have lots of wet/leather-hard additions and alterations that will be made to the form.
Assembling the Top/Shoulder
With calipers, I transfer the measurement of the body “gallery” to the shoulder and cut inward, at a diagonal angle with a needle tool. Once this is free, place it on the body for a dry-fitting (4). If all looks well, I remove it, center the body back on the wheel, and lightly apply a generously wet sponge for many revolutions
to build up a solid layer of slip. After lowering the top down onto the body, I gradually rotate the piece, compressing the entire top together with the body (see 5).
Creating the Spout
With a sharp knife, I cut a hole the size of my thumb near the rim, on the top/shoulder area. Adding water as needed for lubrication, I begin pinching the clay upward and outward, trying to avoid a paper-thin spout edge. I then work the clay outward, forming the throat and bending the lip into a pitcher-like spout (5). Note: Unless I’m actively working on a piece, it is most always covered under plastic.
First Tapered Coil Addition: First, making coils: I gather about 5 pounds (2.3 kg) of medium-hardness wet clay and roll a series of coils nearly 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick and 4–5 inches (10–12.7 cm) long. Taking a coil, I apply outward pressure while rolling to taper the ends for a gradual progression from thin to thick to thin.
Prep the attachment area on the shoulder by vigorously rubbing a repetitively dipped in water, stiff-bristled brush onto all the surfaces where the coil will be pressed to create lots of slip.
Centering the coil opposite the spout (6), I compress it over both sides of the rim of the teapot, biting the edge, and looking for slip to get pressed out of the seam. Then begins the pinching process, first starting at the base, with an emphatic smoothing of the seams and then up and up and up, row by row, like the slow pulled rings of a thrown pot (7).
Throwing the Infuser Lid
An infuser needs to sit far down into the teapot so the tea has ample steeping water. With ½ to ⅝ pound (0.2–0.3 kg) of clay, I throw a curved-bottom cylinder about 4 inches (10 cm) tall and fold over the lip to meet the gallery caliper measurement (8).
Second Tapered Coil Addition: Once the first coil addition has firmed up to at least leather soft, I attach another tapered coil to the top of the first pinched section (9). Use the same process as the first to build more height on this soon-to-be handle (10).
Trimming the Infuser Lid, Adding a Handle
Trim the infuser lid so all excess clay is trimmed off with no foot rim (11). Keep the lip for the gallery intact.
To add a small handle to the lid infuser, start with a 2-inch-long piece of ½-inch-diameter coil, and taper the ends. Soft clay is best for this application so as not to push the lid infuser out-of-round. After slipping up the surface of the lid infuser, compress the coil onto the lid. The seam between the coil and the lid needs the most attention to blend in, and from there I pinch the coil into an arching handle (12).
Third and Final Tapered Coil Addition: This coil becomes the grip of the handle. It doesn’t add height, rather it gets pinched horizontally toward the center of the pot (13).
Adding a Spout Cover
A spout cover completes the spout visually and works functionally to constrict and direct the pour. Pinch a spout cover in the shape of a duck bill from a similar-sized coil as the lid infuser’s tapered coil addition (14). Then, dry fit it, adjust it for fit, and slip, attach, compress, and smooth it onto the shoulder (15).
Final Refinements
I find this step supremely enjoyable—the Surform smooths out much of the handbuilt irregularities, removes excess clay, and refines the profile. I want the lines to flow from handle to spout, from wide base to a narrow wave crest (16). It’s important to view this piece from all sides, as well as observe from a distance.
After Surforming, and as a substitute for Surforming in places where that tool does not fit, I use a curved, sharp, and fine-toothed Mudtools Hax tool, dragging it across the surface like a road grader removing ruts and washboards from a country gravel road. This works well at the leather-hard stage.
Once the clay has begun drying just enough to change color, I use a flexible steel rib and scrape all of the handbuilt surfaces smooth. Finally, use a wet-sponge to sand the surface, continually rinsing the sponge as you work.
Drilling the Infuser Lid
The infuser lid has a similar clean up to the rest of the teapot, except for some hard-to-reach areas that require tiny metal ribs and sponges.
To drill the infusion holes, I use a small vise along with three clamps to make my drill stationary. The third clamp fits over the trigger, keeping the drill at a consistent speed. With some cheap diamond-tipped drill bits around ³⁄₃₂ size, I place the not-quite-bone-dry infuser lid gingerly onto the spinning drill bit, tediously drilling hole after hole (17).
Playing Musical Lids
When the pots and lids are 100% bone dry (with no more wet shrinking), I go through all of them to find the best possible infuser lid fit and look (18). If they are too tight, I will either trim or wet-sponge sand them to make the fit just right.
Noel Bailey is a potter, teacher, and forever a student in Vermont’s Mad River Valley. He has an MFA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and a BA in Art Education from the University of Northern Colorado. A years-long apprenticeship with Bill Wilson and a rad high school clay program fostered an indelible love for the pursuit of pottery. To learn and see more, visit @noelbaileyceramicson Instagram or on his website noelbaileyceramics.com.
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While my fancy-pants wares may allude otherwise, I consider myself a functionalist. From a coming-of-age where backpacking, rock climbing, general outdoor dirt-baggery, and the frequent schlepping of belongings between divorced parents’ houses, my things needed to earn both their bearing on gravity and their consumption of real estate in my pack. I love nice things: ingenious design of objects and spaces that evolve upon history, craft, and regional traditions. I love innovative gear that functions intuitively with versatility and durability. And I especially love when an aesthetic is authentic—expressed through function, material, and place.
The teapot may be the quintessential ceramic craft object. To make one is to unfurl an entire Russian doll’s contents of challenges with the multiple components, asymmetrical balance, and functional considerations. It’s an exceptionally complex task to make all these various instruments harmonize together in their differing visual sounds.
A guiding principle for my work has always been unity. How does the foot rim relate to the lip rim, which relates to the body, which is then a canvas for an in-relation glaze? And then we have a teapot, an animation-in-real-time practice, trying on the different spouts, lids, handles, all while analyzing the form, negative space, movement, and the overall character.
Re-Imagining Teapot Design
My current teapot design evolved out of considerations of function and a re-contextualization of what a handle is. For the function, it was simply that I generally find more comfort holding and pouring a teapot when the handle is overhead, but I find this style is a challenge to fill and clean. I sought a hybrid model where the handle was in a heightened ergonomic position, but where I could still have open access for adding water, tea, and emptying it out after use. I tried more traditional loop-type handles with similar positioning and they showed some promise—though not without various slumping calamities. At some point, I was sticking temporary pieces of clay on the pot in a sketch-like manner, and decided to go with a solid piece moving up and curving over. It felt gutsy and exciting, opening new visual/formal possibilities while examining what makes for a pleasant grasp. Various climbing holds: jugs, pockets, pinches, and crimpers all came to mind while sculpting the “handle.”
Workflow
For teapots, I typically work in a series of six. Nearly every step requires some drying and firming of the clay to support consecutive processes. Having numerous pieces to work on lets me further practice and refine each technique while giving me a 1–2 hour focus time for each step.
Clay Preparation
With my porcelain, the firmness of the clay I start with (I prefer a medium-firm consistency) has a direct result on how thin I can throw the walls. For teapots, my goal is a somewhat thin, consistent wall just thick enough to maintain the structure of the form and support a tall handle and lid without any slumping. These are the clay weights I start with:
Throwing the Body and Shoulders
I throw the teapot body just as I would a ramen-sized bowl with the exception that I leave a thicker ridge/gallery area below the rim where I will attach the top piece (1). The reason I throw these separately is that I can better maintain wall thinness and will utilize the rim of the body as a decorative element in the final form.
I throw the top/shoulder of the teapot separately and right side up. I open the clay all the way down to the wheel head and pull the ring out, while maintaining constant downward compression, into a circle larger than the diameter of the teapot body. I, then, pull the clay in and up toward the middle (if there’s too much, I’ll cut it off with a needle tool) to a set, measured diameter of 3¼ in. (8.3 cm). Then, I use a rib to depress the rim into the lid gallery (2).
Trimming
I trim the foot of the body as I do all my bowls. I want a foot diameter that balances elegance and stability (3). I trim these on the wet side (sure that the lip isn’t getting too dry) because I have lots of wet/leather-hard additions and alterations that will be made to the form.
Assembling the Top/Shoulder
With calipers, I transfer the measurement of the body “gallery” to the shoulder and cut inward, at a diagonal angle with a needle tool. Once this is free, place it on the body for a dry-fitting (4). If all looks well, I remove it, center the body back on the wheel, and lightly apply a generously wet sponge for many revolutions
to build up a solid layer of slip. After lowering the top down onto the body, I gradually rotate the piece, compressing the entire top together with the body (see 5).
Creating the Spout
With a sharp knife, I cut a hole the size of my thumb near the rim, on the top/shoulder area. Adding water as needed for lubrication, I begin pinching the clay upward and outward, trying to avoid a paper-thin spout edge. I then work the clay outward, forming the throat and bending the lip into a pitcher-like spout (5). Note: Unless I’m actively working on a piece, it is most always covered under plastic.
First Tapered Coil Addition: First, making coils: I gather about 5 pounds (2.3 kg) of medium-hardness wet clay and roll a series of coils nearly 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick and 4–5 inches (10–12.7 cm) long. Taking a coil, I apply outward pressure while rolling to taper the ends for a gradual progression from thin to thick to thin.
Prep the attachment area on the shoulder by vigorously rubbing a repetitively dipped in water, stiff-bristled brush onto all the surfaces where the coil will be pressed to create lots of slip.
Centering the coil opposite the spout (6), I compress it over both sides of the rim of the teapot, biting the edge, and looking for slip to get pressed out of the seam. Then begins the pinching process, first starting at the base, with an emphatic smoothing of the seams and then up and up and up, row by row, like the slow pulled rings of a thrown pot (7).
Throwing the Infuser Lid
An infuser needs to sit far down into the teapot so the tea has ample steeping water. With ½ to ⅝ pound (0.2–0.3 kg) of clay, I throw a curved-bottom cylinder about 4 inches (10 cm) tall and fold over the lip to meet the gallery caliper measurement (8).
Second Tapered Coil Addition: Once the first coil addition has firmed up to at least leather soft, I attach another tapered coil to the top of the first pinched section (9). Use the same process as the first to build more height on this soon-to-be handle (10).
Trimming the Infuser Lid, Adding a Handle
Trim the infuser lid so all excess clay is trimmed off with no foot rim (11). Keep the lip for the gallery intact.
To add a small handle to the lid infuser, start with a 2-inch-long piece of ½-inch-diameter coil, and taper the ends. Soft clay is best for this application so as not to push the lid infuser out-of-round. After slipping up the surface of the lid infuser, compress the coil onto the lid. The seam between the coil and the lid needs the most attention to blend in, and from there I pinch the coil into an arching handle (12).
Third and Final Tapered Coil Addition: This coil becomes the grip of the handle. It doesn’t add height, rather it gets pinched horizontally toward the center of the pot (13).
Adding a Spout Cover
A spout cover completes the spout visually and works functionally to constrict and direct the pour. Pinch a spout cover in the shape of a duck bill from a similar-sized coil as the lid infuser’s tapered coil addition (14). Then, dry fit it, adjust it for fit, and slip, attach, compress, and smooth it onto the shoulder (15).
Final Refinements
I find this step supremely enjoyable—the Surform smooths out much of the handbuilt irregularities, removes excess clay, and refines the profile. I want the lines to flow from handle to spout, from wide base to a narrow wave crest (16). It’s important to view this piece from all sides, as well as observe from a distance.
After Surforming, and as a substitute for Surforming in places where that tool does not fit, I use a curved, sharp, and fine-toothed Mudtools Hax tool, dragging it across the surface like a road grader removing ruts and washboards from a country gravel road. This works well at the leather-hard stage.
Once the clay has begun drying just enough to change color, I use a flexible steel rib and scrape all of the handbuilt surfaces smooth. Finally, use a wet-sponge to sand the surface, continually rinsing the sponge as you work.
Drilling the Infuser Lid
The infuser lid has a similar clean up to the rest of the teapot, except for some hard-to-reach areas that require tiny metal ribs and sponges.
To drill the infusion holes, I use a small vise along with three clamps to make my drill stationary. The third clamp fits over the trigger, keeping the drill at a consistent speed. With some cheap diamond-tipped drill bits around ³⁄₃₂ size, I place the not-quite-bone-dry infuser lid gingerly onto the spinning drill bit, tediously drilling hole after hole (17).
Playing Musical Lids
When the pots and lids are 100% bone dry (with no more wet shrinking), I go through all of them to find the best possible infuser lid fit and look (18). If they are too tight, I will either trim or wet-sponge sand them to make the fit just right.
Noel Bailey is a potter, teacher, and forever a student in Vermont’s Mad River Valley. He has an MFA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and a BA in Art Education from the University of Northern Colorado. A years-long apprenticeship with Bill Wilson and a rad high school clay program fostered an indelible love for the pursuit of pottery. To learn and see more, visit @noelbaileyceramics on Instagram or on his website noelbaileyceramics.com.
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