Pottery eggs are fun projects. Eggs are not only associated with Easter, but also have been associated with renewal, fertility, life, and new life for thousands of years and across a huge number of cultures. Their simple, ovoid shape is quite pleasing, too.
To create the egg shape, I used a balloon as an internal armature, and a bowl-shaped bisque press mold I had already made. If you do not have a bisque press mold, you can easily substitute a bowl. To prevent sticking, line the bowl with a single layer of facial tissue, dust with corn starch, or very lightly coat with vegetable oil.
The clay you choose is important. Do not use a clay body with grog or sand in it, or any other granular material. Use a low-fire clay body, since mid-range and higher temperatures will roughen the surface of the clay, even if well-burnished before firing. For my egg I used about one pound of very fine-textured, white, low-fire clay.
Begin by rolling a slab of about one eighth to one sixteenth of an inch thick. Slump this into the bowl or press mold, easing it in to avoid creases as much as possible. Blow up the balloon as much as possible so it will be as firm as possible. Cover the tied off opening with tape to create a smooth line, then set on top of the slab inside the mold.