Canopic Jars Pinch Pot Project

The Ancient Egyptians used special jars as apart of the mummification project, one for each of the major organs (at least the ones they considered major). The brain was picked out of the head and thrown away, as it was considered useless. The heart was left in the body because the body because that's what you'd use to think and feel. Your heart is what makes you who you are. The liver, lungs, stomach, and intestine were each placed in separate canopic jars, before the rest of the body was dried with a type of salt and wrapped in strips of linen.

The lids of the jars had lids that represented the appropriate god to go with each organ. A jackal, falcon, human, and baboon. Some canopic jars were carved from wood, but many were made from taracota.  My students made small canopic jars, not only as a way to remember what we'd learned about Ancient Egypt and their beliefs, but also as an excuse to learn the ceramics pinch pot technique, and maybe make something perfect for storing toothpicks or Q-tips.

every pinch pot starts by rolling a ball of clay and inserting a thumb. I tell my students to pretend their fingers are glued together and held straight like a paddle. The thumb presses gently towards the paddle fingers and turned a tiny bit at a time to make the hole bigger and the walls thinner and taller until a jar shape is made. In order to curve the top of the jar in, the fingers would be held at a 45 degree angle out from the flat jar bottom so that the thumb turns under and creates a shoulder to the pot and a smaller hole.

We added a little mini neck to the pot or a ledge a little down from the mouth of the pot by scratching the surface with a needle (scoring), and then making a coil which is also scored. Painting a little bit of wet clay or water creates the slip or "glue" needed to get the two pieces bound together. 

To make the lid, a smaller ball of clay is used to make a tiny pinch pot that fits on top of the coil ledge. Pushing, pulling, and adding bits of clay through more scoring and slipping helps transform the plain lid to an animal or human head. Be sure to keep the lid on the jar as it dries to keep things fitting together as it shrinks.

 

Students carved into the jar to make patterns or symbols, and after the bisque firing, they had the option of painting or glazing their jars. It was a fun way to bring ancient history to life and practice some ceramic techniques along the way. A lot of students who finished early made little ice cream or cupcake jars, which was just icing on the cake.

Wall Vase Art Project

One of my favorite art projects from my childhood was a ceramic wall vase. I used my hand to smash a ball of clay flat to make a slab, but a rolling pin or slab roller can get a more even surface. 

This is a perfect project for kids or adults who are just starting out with clay. My art students started by using a slab roller to make a slab of clay. Then they cut out a shape for the back of the vase and used objects to poke, and roll the surface of the clay to make texture. They made pockets with smaller shapes of clay by scoring and slipping to the surface. And finally a hole was made at the top to hang on a nail. Two holes work as well for a ribbon to make a hanger. Once the vases were bisque fired, my students choose a color to paint their vases. By not using too much paint, or over painting it, the clay can show through and reveal the terracotta color and emphasize the texture. Finally we found little flowers to place in the pockets. It's a fun and easy project that can be used for Mother's Day gifts or a springy look in the home. You know it's a good art lesson if you remember it nearly five decades later.

 

Ceramic Totem Poles (Part 2)

Totem poles are not idols nor objects to ward off evil spirits. They are stories told with symbols. They may honor a family, commemorate a life, or,  they are may be used to shame someone (say a CEO or ambassador) for wrong doing.  The poles are carved from tall cedar trees from the Oregon and Washington all the way through British Columbia to Alaska.

To read a totem pole, one must know the meaning behind each animal.  A wolf is a symbol of loyalty and intelligence, a frog represents wealth and good health. Salmon symbolize determination and perseverance. Killer whales are powerful and can offer food and help to tribe leaders. An owl is wise and may symbolize a deceased family member. A bear is strong and was believed to teach people how to fish and gather berries.

My high school students used slabs of clay to wrap around cardboard rolls and create their own totem poles. I encouraged a lot wiggle room for the shrinkage that comes from drying, so the tube could be removed. After a bisque firing, they each glazed their animals.  For the students who did every animal separately, we hot glued the pieces together afterwards, and it seemed to work pretty well. (Time will tell how long it will hold).  These ended up being a little over a foot in height, which was about twice as tall as the mini poles that the younger students made. We were so excited to pull them out of the kiln yesterday it was fun to see them standing side by side.

Coil Pots

Coil pottery is an ancient technique and a fun way to introduce functional ceramics to art students. 

The process begins by rolling out a "snake" like shape with clay. This is used to  coil, or spiral around in a circle to form the bottom of a bowl, or it can be added to a slab (clay rolled out into a shape) to form a small wall. Layers of coils are added using the slip-and-score technique in which the attaching edges are scored with hatch marks and a slimy clan-water mixture is added for glue. If the clay is very soft than the slip and score method isn't needed; as two pieces can be smoothed together.

In the past, I have had assignments in which the students must smooth the inside and outside as they go along building the wall, but for this assignment, only the inside was smoothed so that the outside showed the texture of the coil process. Students were encouraged to use a variety of ways to add coils, in squiggles, spirals, horizontal layers etc. This way the end product makes it possible to see, feel, and remember the process.