As soon as the notches have been cut, the small triangular pieces of clay are removed, the edges rounded with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, and the corners made into curves. Small pellets of clay may be added if necessary. After a few finishing touches with the forefinger the terracing of the ends of the bowl is completed (see [fig. 7], c).[34]
The time consumed by the swiftest potter of the village, in moulding an unusually large prayer-meal bowl, is recorded in Table V. The piece was seven and a half inches long, four and three-quarters inches wide, and three and a half inches high. The terraces raised the ends one and three-quarters inches more.
TABLE V
| Min. Sec. | |
| 00.00 | — Moulding of the bowl itself completed, after some time spent in pressing down the pat on the interior of the bowl. Vessel set aside |
| 22.00 | — Time out |
| 22.00 | — Interior and exterior smoothing begun |
| 26.00 | — Paste picked up for roll to be placed on one end of bowl |
| 29.45 | — Roll flattened and smoothing of edges begun |
| 30.30 | — Interior scraping begun |
| 31.10 | — Exterior scraping begun |
| 31.45 | — Smoothing of connection with sides begun |
| 32.30 | — Roll placed on other end |
| 33.45 | — Roll flattened and interior scraping begun |
| 34.15 | — Exterior scraping begun |
| 34.45 | — Very small roll placed on first end to improve curve, followed by a little smoothing with kajepe |
| 35.45 | — Finishing of end begun |
| 37.30 | — Marking of one end with fingernail begun |
| 38.15 | — Notches cut with thread, pieces removed, and finishing of terrace begun |
| 40.15 | — Marking of other end with fingernail begun |
| 40.35 | — Cutting of notches with thread begun |
| 41.05 | — Pieces removed and finishing of terrace begun |
| 43.15 | — Finishing completed |
Double-mouthed Vases
The first step in the construction of this type of vessel is the moulding of an open-mouthed bowl. Across the mouth of this bowl a clay bridge is placed. Finishing touches are given at this stage of the work, just as if the moulding had been entirely completed. The piece is set aside for a while to stiffen.
Later, additional rolls are added to each half of the mouth of the bowl by attaching them to the rim proper and also to the bridge. In this way two necks are gradually built up. At regular intervals the work is set aside to stiffen in order that it may support the additional weight to be added. The shape and height of the two necks depend entirely upon the whim of the potter. The moulding of the upper parts of the two necks is a delicate process, and requires considerable skill. The roll-marks on the interior of the neck, if obliterated at all, are destroyed by the fingers only, since the diameter of the neck is too small to permit the use of a kajepe. After the moulding has been entirely finished, a handle connecting the two necks is usually put across the top at right angles to the bridge which forms the base of the necks. Obviously this handle has a structural as well as ornamental purpose.[35]
Handles
In all cases in which handles are to be applied the vessel is entirely finished before they are put on. The potters of San Ildefonso make three types of handles: (1) passing across the top of an open-mouthed bowl, (2) attached vertically to the side of a vessel, (3) attached horizontally to the side of a vessel. All three types consist of a short roll of paste of the proper length, usually somewhat smaller in diameter than the rolls used in the body of the vessel. This roll is slightly flattened before it is applied.
The first two types of handles are placed on the vessel in the same manner. The ends of the flattened roll are pinched still flatter. In the case of the handle over the top of a bowl, first one end of the roll, then the other, is attached by pressure to the exterior of the rim. The vertical handle on the side of a vessel is attached first to the exterior of the rim, then bent over and attached to the side just above the shoulder. The left hand is used as a stop on the inside of the vessel in order that the shape of the side may not be altered by the pressure exerted in applying the handle. The junction-lines between the handle and the vessel are then obliterated with the forefinger of the right hand. Small pellets of paste may be added to the side of the contacts, especially on the inner side of the handle where it makes an acute angle with the side of the bowl. In this way the welding is made solid, and the curves regular. Finally the curve of the handle itself is made symmetrical. A few finishing touches, such as the obliterating of fine cracks in the handle and the smoothing of its surface, complete the process. Such a handle may be constructed in three to five minutes.