my lid tops

lid1

Starting with the lid. I trim it to the shape that I want and score the center to attach a hollow knob to attach the rest of the lid.

lid 2

the knob is thrown on the wheel. I make this piece to separate the lid top visually from the lid that it rests on.

lid 3

Joining the lid and the knob. the scoring that I did earlier to the lid ensures that the lid is firmly attached to the knob. the knob is a bit more moist than the lid. creating a buffer of moisture between the dryer lid and the moist top. This helps to discourage the piece from cracking as it dries.

 

lid 4

forming the rest of the knob. the clay is pulled just like if I were making a mug. the challenge here is to keep the lid in proportion to the rest of the piece. Due to the greater degree of bending, I attach these pieces when they are fairly moist .

lid 5

The pulled portion is attached to the rest of the lid.  the lid is  especially fragile until the bisque firing, so I have to take extra care with these style lids.

lid 6

Attaching the lid the best that I can. I will take a chopstick and join the pieces together the best that I can in this step. I will also check the curvature of the loops to make sure that they are as even as possible.