Keep Records on Your Pots -- Literally!
Wednesday November 19, 2008
Photo © 2008 Beth E Peterson
It is important to mark your pots when necessary in order to keep track of the details. For example, when using clay bodies of different maturity ranges a letter on the bottom of the pot can identify within what range that pot is to be fired.
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Comments
I’ve often wondered what the mysterious marks are on some of the pottery I’ve looked at. Mystery solved!
Great idea! I will have to see if I can adapt it to some of my (non-pottery) projects.
Writing directly on the underside of the pot does seem a good way to keep a record – there’s no chance of misplacing it!
That’s a good idea, and very practical. Thanks for sharing it
Interesting! You sometimes also see dates on the bottoms on pots, right?
A lot of times you’ll find the potter’s signature (either inscribed or written in a stain or slip) or mark (an impressed signet), sometimes the date the pot was made, and sometimes esoteric other markings like this one, which is an “L” for low-fire, but also could almost look like a seagull.
This little pot got signed after I marked it for temperature. And if you look, you can just see the impression of my potter’s mark on the side.
Great tip for organization! The photo is a great visual, too.
Wonderful, will add to my pieces. Thank you Janie S