How Do You Make A Clay Teapot?
History says the clay teapot may be patterned after Islamic coffee pots or Chinese wine vessels made in bronze and other metals in the mid-1600s. The earliest known clay teapot is dated to 1513. The English Earl of Cadogan is the first Englishman to have owned a Chinese globular shaped wine vessel. This foreshadowed the future design of teapots. Since tea was extremely expensive, drinking it was an upper class privilege. Create the teapot by throwing a large lump of wet clay on the potting wheel. Gently hold the clay lump between your hands as the wheel turns, creating the shape and size of teapot desired. Raise or lower the design by raising or lowering the hands. Remove the wet teapot from the wheel and set aside to dry overnight. Once it’s hard and damp to the touch, trim the bottom of the pot by inverting it into a clay cushioned collar. Smooth the foot to enhance its appearance by using a metal rib and working from the inside out to remove excess clay. Measure the pot’s inside dia
