KERAMIC STUDIO 
13 
CLAY IN THE STUDIO 
(Seventh Paper.) 
Charles F. Biuns 
IRST among the questions to arise 
in the mind of the aspiring clay 
worker is " what shape shall I make?" 
Visions arise of severe critics whose 
scent for a copy surpasses that of a 
hound for game and who seem to 
know the contents of every museum 
by heart ; or one is haunted by the 
spectre purist whose first question 
is " What is it for?" One wonders, 
by the way, whether that question were ever asked about 
Raphael's cartoons or the famous peach-blow vase. 
In order to ease the minds of the sensitive let it be said 
at once that it does not matter a straw whether the shape has 
been made before or not and, as to use, beauty is sufficient 
justification. It is a physical impossibility to devise a new out- 
line and in the striving therefor many have made shipwreck. 
are to be built, some such line must be followed, no copying, 
but, with similar material, similar tools and similar limitations 
the result would not be true if it were not similar. The first 
point to be sought is self expression. A drawing may be 
made beforehand but the better plan is to think in the clay 
itself. More "copying " is involved in reproducing a drawing 
of one's own than in unconsciously following the lines of some 
prehistoric vase. Therefore the outlines here given are not 
intended to be copied, nor are they taken with malice afore- 
thought from actual vases. Their purpose is to act as sug- 
gestions of the more obvious lines to be followed in clay and 
as inspirations towards something that shall be truly expressive. 
One may prefer that one of the outlines should be fuller or 
more severe, or it may be that a neck would look better if 
made narrower, and so forth. 
When the clay is taken in hand the creative thought will 
soon arise and will develop as it grows. 
Certain types of form are suitable to each method and 
the examples are found in the same connection. An Indian 
jar could be duplicated on the wheel but the fact that a piece 
It is related of a celebrated dramatic author that he de- 
tected an equally celebrated actor introducing on the stage some 
"business" which was not in the play. He remonstrated and 
the actor said in reply that he secured a good laugh from the 
audience thereby, " so you would if you sat on your hat" said 
the author. 
This story may seem irrelevant, but the point is that the 
end does not justify the means. Novelty may be purchased 
at too great a cost. "You never saw anything like that be- 
fore" says the Athenian, "No, and it is fervently hoped that 
nothing like it may ever be seen again." 
At the beginning, simple forms only should be attempted. 
The tyro will find greater ease with built work than at the 
wheel. The spinning tlay has a wondrous knack of asserting 
itself and escaping from control. A start is made in the full 
hope and intent of producing something fine, but lo ! the clay 
gives a twist, here, a wrinkle appears there and the unborn 
vase becomes a shapeless ruin. Building by hand, if slower, 
is more sure. 
The work produced in coiling by Indian women is the 
natural outcome of the clay itself. If forms suitable for clay 
so formed has a different quality of line would destroy the 
connection. On the other hand, it would be absurd to at- 
tempt by building to form a vase on pure Greek lines. These 
demand the wheel for their proper execution and no other 
process will adequately carry out the idea. If, then, wheel 
work be attempted let it be for such forms as are fit and, in 
like manner, let building be resorted to for work that is ap- 
propriate. 
A relief is often found in fashioning pieces that are other 
than circular in form. Obviously these cannot be made on 
the wheel. A great variety of forms are possible and the 
Japanese school will be a fruitful source of inspiration. Square 
jars or tea-caddies, hexagonal and octagonal bowls and bottles, 
lobed and spiral lines can all be drawn upon in endless variety. 
An advantage of building is that large pieces can be made 
with even less trouble than small ones. With the wheel it is 
different. Here the difficulty increases greatly with every 
advance in size. The builder or coiler is limited only by the 
weight of the piece and the size of the kiln. 
A fruitful source of enjoyment is the building of flower 
[CONTINUED ON PAGE 16] 
