How to carve a small pot

One of the most difficult techniques to create a bonsai pot is by carving it out from one block of clay. In the youtube video below I show you how to go ahead with a small rectangle.

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The difficult part is to know when, and in what stage the clay is dry enough to start to carve on. I divide the work into 3 days and in beetween I let it dry slowly under a plastic sheet.

1. First day

Creating, sculpturing the outer design. Rough hollowing of the block.

2. Second day

Hollowing the pot (now the pot should be dryer on the outside so that you feel a "shell" when you work from the inside.

3. Third day

Finishing, polishing the pot.

Then comes firing, glazing and finally stoneware firing.