Taylor Sijan's Teapot with strainer, 6 in. (15.2 cm) in height, porcelain, underglaze, 2021.
Functional teapots are difficult to craft well. Careful consideration must be given to its capacity for serving, the expansion and straining of tea leaves, heat retention, the comfort of the handle, the fit of the lid, its balance when tilted, the quality
of its pour, and its ability to be cleaned. They make for quite a challenge if you like combining thrown, altered, and handbuilt components to create a layered canvas for lots of decoration techniques like I do. My love for creating pots for use and
the inspiring sense of movement in pouring vessels makes crafting them only slightly less daunting, even after years of being a potter. However, the only way to make great pots is to take risks when making them, to use and assess them, and to redesign
them over time from what you’ve learned.
Where to Begin?
I start by creating a few quick sketches focusing on comfort and capacity. To begin figuring out how to fulfill all the functional parameters, I consider first how many people this teapot will serve. I find that 16-ounce to 32-ounce vessels, or two
to four 8-ounce servings, are great for sharing to be an option and provide a fairly broad spectrum of sizes to work within when you’re new to designing teapots. It’s important to be aware that 32 ounces of water weighs two pounds on its
own. People who use teapots have different hand and wrist strengths and levels of coordination, which is something to consider. When I make a four-serving teapot, I want it to be comfortable and something that can be easily enjoyed with friends.
Taylor Sijan's Taylor Sijan's Teapot with strainer, 6 in. (15.2 cm) in height, porcelain, underglaze, 2021.Taylor Sijan's Footed teapot, 8 in. (20.3 cm) in height, porcelain, underglaze, 2021.
Consider a Strainer
I believe the best pots have hidden details or surprises, so I designed a strainer that interlocks with the lid. Its height, diameter, tapering, and wings are carefully planned because they will impact the dimensions of the teapot. It needs to be suspended
low enough inside to be able to brew less than a full pot of tea if the user wishes. This, when factoring in that it will hang ½–¾ inch (1.3–1.9 cm) from the lid, dictates its height and the minimum height of the teapot.
I estimate the inner diameter of the strainer’s neck needs to be at least 1¼ inch (3.2 cm) by the time it is finished to be able to clean it. The neck impacts the size of the teapot’s lid, which it will twist into. Larger lids lose
more heat, so I keep this as small as possible. Since the strainer’s neck will be so narrow, it will have to swell wider at the base to accommodate the expansion of the tea leaves as they steep.
A I calculate measurements backward from the size of the strainer, factoring in that my clay body shrinks 13%.B I use Procreate on my iPad to draw potential spouts and handles on photos of pieces to check proportions and angles before I attach them.
Darting the Teapot
After calculating measurements (A), I use 2¾ pounds (1.2 kg) of porcelain to throw a bulbous form 5¼ inches (13.3 cm) tall and 5½ inches (14 cm) wide. After the rim sets up but is still slightly flexible, dart, or cut and remove sections,
in three places (1). Cut two single-point darts on either side of where the spout will be to tilt the form back toward the handle (2). Tilting the front of the pot back keeps liquid from dribbling out the lid when pouring from a high spout and moves
your eye in a circular motion from the handle and spout, implying the motion required to pour. Cut the darts at a 45° angle and gently push them together, laying one side over the other, until at least ¼ inch (6 mm) of the walls overlap.
Cut a double-pointed dart where the handle will spring off the form to create negative space (3) and keep the handle as close to the form as possible. Use a stick or long-handle tool to fully blend the soft seams in on the interior of the pot, but leave
them accentuated on the exterior.
1 Cut three darts just above the widest part of the belly.2 Cutting and removing the darts will take the pot out of its symmetrical shape.
3 Compress the visible seams to accentuate them and prevent cracking later.
Handbuilding a Lid
While the teapot is still flexible, score and attach a ½-inch (1.3-cm)-thick coil of clay about ½ inch (1.3 cm) deeper than the lowest part of the rim to make a horizontal lid gallery, then put the teapot in a damp box to rest.
Meanwhile, form a 3/16-inch (0.47-cm)-thick slab over a hump mold (4) and let it firm up but remain flexible. Trace the rim of the teapot onto the underside of the slab, then Surform the slab to fit the shape of the lid opening. Score and attach the slab
directly onto the gallery. Fill any gaps along the edges with clay. Before cutting the lid in the slab, mark the minimum lid diameter, then score and attach a handbuilt knob in the center (see 5). Hold a fettling knife at 45° and cut the lid into
a rounded triangle that relates to the shape of the rim and is slightly larger than the minimum size needed (5). I wait to smooth the cut edges once the pot is stiff leather hard, and am careful not to sponge away too much material and make the lid
loose.
4 Form the lid slab on a hump mold, then shape until it fits inside the rim.5 Make a knob and attach it to the lid slab before cutting the lid out.
Forming the Strainer
The strainer consists of two parts, a cup-shaped form with added holes, and the strainer holder, which is attached to the underside of the lid (6).
For the strainer holder, create the vertical ring that the strainer will hang from out of a ⅛-inch (0.3-cm)-thick, ¾-inch (1.9-cm)-tall strip of slab formed around a cookie cutter, then attach a flat, slab-built disk to that. Allow the holder to
set up to leather hard before cutting notches out of the slab disk for the strainer to twist into (7). Score and attach the holder to the underside of the lid.
Throw the cup-shaped strainer with 7½ ounces (212 g) of porcelain. The shape should be similar to a cup form without a foot and should have a wide, flat brim for a rim. Once leather hard, cut wings out of the brim, then shape them with a Surform.
The wings should extend outward about 3/16 inch (0.47 cm)—quite small, but functional (8). These will twist into the underside of the lid to keep it suspended in hot water. Divide the form into sections and make the holes by twisting ⅛-inch
and 3/16-inch drill bits slowly by hand, taking care to make sure they are not skewed as they penetrate the wall. I compress the cut edges of each hole on both sides. Later, the strainer is glazed to just below the wings and fired upside down separately
from the teapot.
Finally, as an optional step, add small feet to the bottom of the strainer so it won’t stick to the table when you remove it after the tea infusion is complete.
6 Join a thick slab ring and disk to make a strainer holder that attaches to the lid.7 Use a Surform to shape the inside to accommodate the strainer’s wings.
8 Pierce holes through the leather-hard strainer using drill bits.
Making the Spout
When designing a spout, I like to take a photo of the pot in profile and draw options over the image to get a sense of the form I want (see B). The tip should be above the fill line and I like to keep it level with the lid with the tip angled horizontally
while at rest. The bottom of the spout blends into the downward curve of the belly.
To make the spout, form a 3/16-inch (4.7-mm)-thick slab of soft clay around a carrot-shaped bisque mold (9) and blend the seam together with a soft rib before pulling it using water to thin out the tube of the spout. Then, cut off the excess and remove
it, bend it forward slightly, and dart it below the rim while it is still soft to further curve it (10). Tip: Handbuild spouts instead of throwing them, as they are less likely to twist and warp during firing.
Once leather hard but still slightly flexible, hold the spout behind the pot (11), trace the silhouette onto the belly, then rasp the correct angle to fit. During attachment, sometimes backfilling and sculpting around the bulb with coils of clay is necessary
to create an intentional transition from spout to teapot. Refine the tip of the spout by twisting a tapered spout maker inside (12). It’s important that the inside edge is sharp so it cuts the liquid as the pot is tilted back at the end of a
pour. You can sharpen all edges of the spout just to be sure, but it will make it more fragile. Sometimes I scrape the edge gently with an X-Acto knife at bone dry to further sharpen. It’s important to not let glaze soften this edge later on.
I usually scrape raw glaze off the very tip of my spout before glaze firing, to be sure it will still cut the flow of liquid.
9 Pull a spout against a carrot-shaped bisque mold. Compress the seam.10 Push the spout to curve it, then cut out a dart and curve the tip downward.
11 Trace the spout onto the pot, then shape the bottom before attaching.12 Sharpen the spout’s interior edge by twisting a tapered spout maker inside.
Adding the Handle
Pull a 1¼-inch (3.2-cm)-wide strap of clay to about 12 inches (30.5 cm) in length and then fold it over itself to overlap vertically halfway. Then, pull this doubled strap several times to gently join it together while preserving the seam. To thicken
the attachment points, I fold the ends of the strap over itself, pressing it against drywall or plaster for easy release after being formed into a C-shape. Press the soft handle against the double darted side of the teapot body and adjust the angle
so that the handle is springing upward from the form (see 14). It is then taken off and set aside to firm up until just barely flexible (13), then scored and attached.
When making a handle for a large pot, I also like to add a ⅛-inch (3-mm)-thick, potato-chip-shaped slab to the inside of the handle to create a hollow grip for comfort (14). Make sure to pierce a needle through the seam somewhere inconspicuous for air
to release during the firing.
13 Pull a long strap of clay. Double it over itself to create a vertical seam.14 Add a thin, potato-chip-shaped slab inside the handle for added comfort.
Timing
Handbuilt and thrown components of the teapot (15) are compressed slightly differently and with porcelain being as uncooperative as it is already, these teapots are tricky to convince not to crack. I make several over the course of a week, taking them
in and out of damp boxes between stages to allow components to achieve similar levels of moisture throughout the process and compressing any joints multiple times throughout construction.
15 Slowly dry the fully constructed teapot and strainer.Taylor Sijan's Footed teapot, 8 in. (20.3 cm) in height, porcelain, underglaze, 2021.
I like to do the majority of decoration on complex pieces like this at the bone-dry stage so that I’m not worried about handles or spouts drying unevenly while painting the surface. I paint Amaco Velvet underglazes layered over multiple paper resists
to achieve rich, colorful surfaces, then bisque to cone 04 and glaze to cone 7.
Taylor Sijan is a full-time studio artist from Catawba Island, Ohio. She earned a BFA in 3-D Arts from Bowling Green State University and an MFA with a ceramics emphasis from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
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Functional teapots are difficult to craft well. Careful consideration must be given to its capacity for serving, the expansion and straining of tea leaves, heat retention, the comfort of the handle, the fit of the lid, its balance when tilted, the quality of its pour, and its ability to be cleaned. They make for quite a challenge if you like combining thrown, altered, and handbuilt components to create a layered canvas for lots of decoration techniques like I do. My love for creating pots for use and the inspiring sense of movement in pouring vessels makes crafting them only slightly less daunting, even after years of being a potter. However, the only way to make great pots is to take risks when making them, to use and assess them, and to redesign them over time from what you’ve learned.
Where to Begin?
I start by creating a few quick sketches focusing on comfort and capacity. To begin figuring out how to fulfill all the functional parameters, I consider first how many people this teapot will serve. I find that 16-ounce to 32-ounce vessels, or two to four 8-ounce servings, are great for sharing to be an option and provide a fairly broad spectrum of sizes to work within when you’re new to designing teapots. It’s important to be aware that 32 ounces of water weighs two pounds on its own. People who use teapots have different hand and wrist strengths and levels of coordination, which is something to consider. When I make a four-serving teapot, I want it to be comfortable and something that can be easily enjoyed with friends.
Consider a Strainer
I believe the best pots have hidden details or surprises, so I designed a strainer that interlocks with the lid. Its height, diameter, tapering, and wings are carefully planned because they will impact the dimensions of the teapot. It needs to be suspended low enough inside to be able to brew less than a full pot of tea if the user wishes. This, when factoring in that it will hang ½–¾ inch (1.3–1.9 cm) from the lid, dictates its height and the minimum height of the teapot. I estimate the inner diameter of the strainer’s neck needs to be at least 1¼ inch (3.2 cm) by the time it is finished to be able to clean it. The neck impacts the size of the teapot’s lid, which it will twist into. Larger lids lose more heat, so I keep this as small as possible. Since the strainer’s neck will be so narrow, it will have to swell wider at the base to accommodate the expansion of the tea leaves as they steep.
Darting the Teapot
After calculating measurements (A), I use 2¾ pounds (1.2 kg) of porcelain to throw a bulbous form 5¼ inches (13.3 cm) tall and 5½ inches (14 cm) wide. After the rim sets up but is still slightly flexible, dart, or cut and remove sections, in three places (1). Cut two single-point darts on either side of where the spout will be to tilt the form back toward the handle (2). Tilting the front of the pot back keeps liquid from dribbling out the lid when pouring from a high spout and moves your eye in a circular motion from the handle and spout, implying the motion required to pour. Cut the darts at a 45° angle and gently push them together, laying one side over the other, until at least ¼ inch (6 mm) of the walls overlap.
Cut a double-pointed dart where the handle will spring off the form to create negative space (3) and keep the handle as close to the form as possible. Use a stick or long-handle tool to fully blend the soft seams in on the interior of the pot, but leave them accentuated on the exterior.
Handbuilding a Lid
While the teapot is still flexible, score and attach a ½-inch (1.3-cm)-thick coil of clay about ½ inch (1.3 cm) deeper than the lowest part of the rim to make a horizontal lid gallery, then put the teapot in a damp box to rest.
Meanwhile, form a 3/16-inch (0.47-cm)-thick slab over a hump mold (4) and let it firm up but remain flexible. Trace the rim of the teapot onto the underside of the slab, then Surform the slab to fit the shape of the lid opening. Score and attach the slab directly onto the gallery. Fill any gaps along the edges with clay. Before cutting the lid in the slab, mark the minimum lid diameter, then score and attach a handbuilt knob in the center (see 5). Hold a fettling knife at 45° and cut the lid into a rounded triangle that relates to the shape of the rim and is slightly larger than the minimum size needed (5). I wait to smooth the cut edges once the pot is stiff leather hard, and am careful not to sponge away too much material and make the lid loose.
Forming the Strainer
The strainer consists of two parts, a cup-shaped form with added holes, and the strainer holder, which is attached to the underside of the lid (6).
For the strainer holder, create the vertical ring that the strainer will hang from out of a ⅛-inch (0.3-cm)-thick, ¾-inch (1.9-cm)-tall strip of slab formed around a cookie cutter, then attach a flat, slab-built disk to that. Allow the holder to set up to leather hard before cutting notches out of the slab disk for the strainer to twist into (7). Score and attach the holder to the underside of the lid.
Throw the cup-shaped strainer with 7½ ounces (212 g) of porcelain. The shape should be similar to a cup form without a foot and should have a wide, flat brim for a rim. Once leather hard, cut wings out of the brim, then shape them with a Surform. The wings should extend outward about 3/16 inch (0.47 cm)—quite small, but functional (8). These will twist into the underside of the lid to keep it suspended in hot water. Divide the form into sections and make the holes by twisting ⅛-inch and 3/16-inch drill bits slowly by hand, taking care to make sure they are not skewed as they penetrate the wall. I compress the cut edges of each hole on both sides. Later, the strainer is glazed to just below the wings and fired upside down separately from the teapot.
Finally, as an optional step, add small feet to the bottom of the strainer so it won’t stick to the table when you remove it after the tea infusion is complete.
Making the Spout
When designing a spout, I like to take a photo of the pot in profile and draw options over the image to get a sense of the form I want (see B). The tip should be above the fill line and I like to keep it level with the lid with the tip angled horizontally while at rest. The bottom of the spout blends into the downward curve of the belly.
To make the spout, form a 3/16-inch (4.7-mm)-thick slab of soft clay around a carrot-shaped bisque mold (9) and blend the seam together with a soft rib before pulling it using water to thin out the tube of the spout. Then, cut off the excess and remove it, bend it forward slightly, and dart it below the rim while it is still soft to further curve it (10). Tip: Handbuild spouts instead of throwing them, as they are less likely to twist and warp during firing.
Once leather hard but still slightly flexible, hold the spout behind the pot (11), trace the silhouette onto the belly, then rasp the correct angle to fit. During attachment, sometimes backfilling and sculpting around the bulb with coils of clay is necessary to create an intentional transition from spout to teapot. Refine the tip of the spout by twisting a tapered spout maker inside (12). It’s important that the inside edge is sharp so it cuts the liquid as the pot is tilted back at the end of a pour. You can sharpen all edges of the spout just to be sure, but it will make it more fragile. Sometimes I scrape the edge gently with an X-Acto knife at bone dry to further sharpen. It’s important to not let glaze soften this edge later on. I usually scrape raw glaze off the very tip of my spout before glaze firing, to be sure it will still cut the flow of liquid.
Adding the Handle
Pull a 1¼-inch (3.2-cm)-wide strap of clay to about 12 inches (30.5 cm) in length and then fold it over itself to overlap vertically halfway. Then, pull this doubled strap several times to gently join it together while preserving the seam. To thicken the attachment points, I fold the ends of the strap over itself, pressing it against drywall or plaster for easy release after being formed into a C-shape. Press the soft handle against the double darted side of the teapot body and adjust the angle so that the handle is springing upward from the form (see 14). It is then taken off and set aside to firm up until just barely flexible (13), then scored and attached.
When making a handle for a large pot, I also like to add a ⅛-inch (3-mm)-thick, potato-chip-shaped slab to the inside of the handle to create a hollow grip for comfort (14). Make sure to pierce a needle through the seam somewhere inconspicuous for air to release during the firing.
Timing
Handbuilt and thrown components of the teapot (15) are compressed slightly differently and with porcelain being as uncooperative as it is already, these teapots are tricky to convince not to crack. I make several over the course of a week, taking them in and out of damp boxes between stages to allow components to achieve similar levels of moisture throughout the process and compressing any joints multiple times throughout construction.
I like to do the majority of decoration on complex pieces like this at the bone-dry stage so that I’m not worried about handles or spouts drying unevenly while painting the surface. I paint Amaco Velvet underglazes layered over multiple paper resists to achieve rich, colorful surfaces, then bisque to cone 04 and glaze to cone 7.
Taylor Sijan is a full-time studio artist from Catawba Island, Ohio. She earned a BFA in 3-D Arts from Bowling Green State University and an MFA with a ceramics emphasis from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
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