A piece of clay is first patted flat with the hand, and then rolled out with the rolling-pin, until it is six inches square and about five-eighths of an inch thick. Upon this clay sheet a circle is marked, five inches in diameter, cut out and placed on a plaster tile. The edge is criss-crossed with a steel tool and wet with slip, and the first coil is attached (see Chapter II.).
Two coils are built up, and then they are pressed outward to form the beginning of the outline, shown in Fig 31. This outline was taken from the lower sweep of the wings of a lunar moth, and the same moth forms the relief design upon it (see Fig. 32).
The bowl is then put out-of-doors until the clay is sufficiently firm to support two more coils. These are added; flaring them to follow the outline, and then the bowl is put away to harden—in the air, if the temperature is not too cold, otherwise indoors. It is built up exactly as was the flower jar in Chapter II., except that there is no cardboard outline to test it; the eye alone is the guide. Great care should be taken not to add the coils until those below are quite stiff, for the decided flare makes it difficult to keep the sides firm and true in outline. The circumference of the bowl, at its widest part, should be about thirty inches. When it is finished, the sides within and without are smoothed, first with the saw-edged oval tool, then with the smooth one. The edge is cut as true as possible by eye, and made perfectly level by pressing it quickly and lightly on the ground-glass slab, wet with clear water, as already described. A damp sponge is then passed over the piece, inside and out, while the fingers rub and polish it dry.
The bottom is finished and the potter’s mark made as described in Chapter II.
When the bowl is thoroughly dry—say the following day—it is ready for the decoration.
Divide the circumference of the top of the bowl into fifths, with pencil marks, lightly made. Then draw the design upon it, so that the top of the upper wings shall be not less than an inch from the edge of the bowl. Make the moths as nearly life size as the bowl will allow. Three and a half inches across, from tip to tip of the upper wings, with spaces an inch and a half between them, will look well, if the bowl is large enough. Having drawn the design in pencil, outline it firmly with the sharp steel tool, taking care to bevel the edge of the design. Never cut under the edge, as the glaze will not flow well over it. Go over the outline, making it firm and deep, with a wooden point. Now, starting close to the edge of the moth, with the flat-pointed steel tool scrape away from it, so as to cut as deep as the outline, close to the design, and shave off to nothing at about half an inch from it. This will give a low relief effect, which is very attractive. The antennæ are incised (see Chapter IV.), and the markings of the moth may be built up with ground, baked clay, so as to heighten the relief. The bowl may be glazed a pale green with a slight yellow tinge (see Chapter V.) to suggest the colour of the moth. It should, however, if possible be fired first in the biscuit.