These are defiantly one of my favourite shapes to throw, not only for the finessing it takes to get a nice top, but also because of how different it looks compared to most other shapes
Did you know that bottle vases have been around since the 1500s? Wow
Few other things I’ll mention, for when your throwing your own bottles:
1: Getting It Centre Is KEY: When the clay is properly centered on the wheel head, it creates a stable foundation for the entire throwing process. It allows you to apply even pressure while shaping the clay, reducing the risk of the piece becoming off-centered or wobbly. A well-centered vase will have better balance and structural integrity.
2: Don’t Let Those Hand Dry Up: When creating the neck of the vase, it’s very important to not use too much water, especially when manipulating the clay to such a great extent, BUT. Because of its delicate nature, the last thing you want, is your hands drying out, pulling on the clay, and possibly deforming your vase at its most crucial point. Keep your hands from drying up and you’ll be throwing bottle necks for days 😉
3: Remove The Water From The Base: it’s an important thing to remember that before you create the neck of the bottle vase, You must remove the water from the base of the vase so that you do not get a soggy wet bottom. This is especially important when creating bottle vases as once you bring in the top of the neck, you will no longer be able to get a sponge down there.
4: Do Not Push Too Hard: Due to you creating a very narrow neck, the top part of the vase is very easily pushed over, especially when taking the slip off with a rib. You do want to be extra cautious about not pushing too hard as you can very easily bend the top of the vase over. Slightly rest your rib against the vase to get rid of the slip using a subtle approach
But most importantly, have fun and give it a go! Because at the end of the day, it’s all about practice and learning how to feel the clay. How it manipulates under your hands is a very important trait 😃
