Pinched Moon Jar Joanne Seongweon Lee

Appears in the March/April 2025 issue of Pottery Making Illustrated.

My life has been filled with constant dislocation and relocation. I have many homes, but not one that helps me feel wholeheartedly grounded and as though I belong physically and emotionally. Through my practice and handcrafted objects, I create a mental and physical space in which my objects can comfortably stay present in the contemporary while paying tribute to my cultural heritage that I hold dear. Naturally, traditional Korean ceramics has become my most prominent interest and focus of research.

Historical Korean pottery is an elegant depiction of beauty while, at the same time, it remains unpretentious and modest, reflecting the makers and their attitude toward their objects. I attempt to practice and embody such virtue in my studio by adapting materials, techniques, and methods to connect with my cultural heritage and artistically embrace my longing for belonging. My coiled forms are a physical conceptualization of Korean ceramics; especially that of moon jars (dal hangari, the traditional Korean ceramics originating from the Joseon Dynasty). 

While directly referencing the forms of various historical moon jars, my vessels take on variations that emerge from the lines and curves I observe within other traditional Korean ceramic artifacts. By taking a purist approach to color, form, and configuration, I allow the essence of clay to remain the emphasis of my work. Through my profound interaction with the materials, I have learned that the challenges that come with working with clay, when overcome, eventually highlight both elegance and subtlety. 

Using especially thin coils in my process allows me to control many physical qualities such as weight, size, thickness, form, and time. I intentionally preserve the seams formed between each coil, honestly representing endurance and acceptance between the clay and myself as the maker. Each coil must shoulder the weight of subsequent coils that pile on top of one another. When these coil-constructed objects reach structural and aesthetic balance, I consider the forms complete. These objects serve as metaphorical vessels that contain my cultural background, personal memories, and the profound emotions accumulated along the coils and facades. 

Preparation 

Put a cut-out piece of printer paper on the banding wheel and use blue tape to tape around the edges. This helps prevent cutting through the base and helps prevent the work from sticking to the banding wheel. All my works are ⅛ inch (3.2 mm) thick, including the base. 

Creating the Base 

Start by rolling out a ⅛-inch-thick (3.2-mm) slab. I use two acrylic sticks on either side of the slab to get even thickness throughout. Use a rubber rib to compress the slab, on both sides, then put the slab on the banding wheel. Spin the wheel counterclockwise and cut the slab into a circle. Make sure to hold the knife steady to get a nicely centered round base (1). The base diameters for moon jars are different depending on the size. For medium moon jars, it is usually about 2– 2½ inches (5.1– 6.4 cm) in diameter. 

Next, start rolling out a coil about ¼ inch (6.4 mm) thick. The first coil is very important because this is the coil that will withstand the rest of the weight. Make sure the thickness is consistent. Press one side of the coil and pinch down (2)—it will turn into a strip and, if cut on the side, it should have a teardrop shape (3). 

Score the first coil on the thick side edge, score the base slab, brush water on the scored marks, and then attach the first coil to the base (4). Spin the banding wheel and use a wooden modeling stick to secure and clean up the inside and outside join. 

Spin the wheel counterclockwise and use a sharp knife to cut the rim. Cut just enough to make the rim even and straight. Tip: When using the knife, hold it with two hands for more stability (see 7). Spin the wheel once more counterclockwise and use a flexible rib to make a flange about 3/16 inch (4.8 mm) from the top (5). Push out the first coil rim using the rib. This is a very important part of the moon jar. Make sure that the flange flares out no more than 45 degrees. 

Building and Shaping 

From this point on, I don’t use any scoring tools or water. Roll a coil into ¼ inch (6.4 mm) and attach the coil at the half point of the previous coil. As I attach the new coil, my hands always stay in front of me (at 6 o’clock). I first use my left hand to attach to the previous coil and use both hands to pinch the rest of the clay evenly. The coil turns into a strip. I usually use my thumb and index finger when I am pinching. My left fingers pinch the bottom of the strip and my right fingers pinch the top of the strip. As you make the work, you should be coiling to shape, meaning you should know the shape you are making. 

I use Mudtools ribs to do detail shaping. I use the red rib on the outside. The red rib is very soft and it does not ruin my texture. I also use it as support in case I accidentally push out with the inside rib. I use either a blue or green rib on the inside of the jar. They are stiffer ribs and I usually shape my moon jars using these two ribs. I spin the wheel counterclockwise and, just like shaping when throwing on the wheel, I use the ribs to do minor detail shaping (6). I find that using ribs helps the work to remain centered. Make sure that your work is in shape and only use the ribs to do very small adjustments. I do not use them to stretch out the clay like regular wheel throwing. After shaping, trim the rim again (7). 

Continue to repeat the process: make a coil, attach halfway up the previous coil (8), and use the ribs to shape (9). I repeat the process for every coil that I attach. After shaping, I use my knife to trim the rim of each coil (10). I find this helpful when I make my moon jars. It ensures that my work is balanced throughout the process. 

For moon jars, the shape starts outward from the foot to halfway up, then curves inward from the middle to the top. So your hands should follow that direction. When you are making the bottom of the moon jar, your hands should be also angling outward and as you move to the top, your hands should be also angling inward (11). 

Finishing the Moon Jar 

When you are about to finish, just like the first coil, make a flange into a cylinder. Then, I put one last coil on the flange (12) and finish it off into either a cylinder-shaped rim (13) or with an angled finish. I then cut my rim (14) and brush it with water to smooth out the sharp edge (15). 

I let my work dry under plastic for a few days. This helps to ensure that the work dries evenly. My method usually takes about one to sixteen hours depending on the size. After the moon jar is bone dry, I then use a lightly damp sponge and clean off the surface. 

Firing and Glazing 

I typically bisque fire my moon jars, but sometimes I will once fire to temperature. I use many different types of clay from low fire to high fire, but I love the natural color of clay so I usually do not glaze my work. Occasionally, I will use underglazes to do some color layering. I fire my pieces in a cone-10 soda kiln, or in oxidation to cone 04 or cone 6. 

Tip: If you are having a hard time with coiling and shaping, I always tell my students to start with making a cylinder. The cylinder is the simplest form, but it is the hardest form to make because you need to go straight up. So, I find the cylinder to be the best form to practice—it helps people to learn how to control the hand and the clay. 

Joanne Seongweon Lee is originally from South Korea. She received a BFA from NYSCC at Alfred University in 2015, an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2019, and then achieved the Franz Rising Star Project Scholarship: Outstanding Performance in Porcelain Design. She attended residencies at the Korea Ceramics Foundation, Icheon Cerapia in Korea, and at Sonoma Ceramics in Sonoma, California. From 2021–2022, Lee taught at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She is currently the ceramics coordinator at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass, Colorado.