In pottery, a potter's wheel is a machine used in the shaping (known as throwing) of clay into round ceramic ware. The wheel may also be used during the process of trimming excess clay from leather-hard dried ware that is stiff but malleable, and for applying incised decoration or rings of colour. Use of the potter's wheel became widespread throughout the Old World but was unknown in the Pre-ColumbianNew World, where pottery was handmade by methods that included coiling and beating.
Classic potter's kick-wheel in Erfurt, GermanyAn electric potter's wheel, with bat (green disk) and throwing bucket. Not shown is a foot pedal used to control the speed of the wheel, similar to a sewing machine
A potter's wheel may occasionally be referred to as a "potter's lathe". However, that term is better used for another kind of machine that is used for a different shaping process, turning, similar to that used for shaping of metal and wooden articles. The pottery wheel is an important component to create arts and craft products.[1]
The techniques of jiggering and jolleying can be seen as extensions of the potter's wheel: in jiggering, a shaped tool is slowly brought down onto the plastic clay body that has been placed on top of the rotating plastermould. The jigger tool shapes one face, the mould the other. The term is specific to the shaping of flat ware, such as plates, whilst a similar technique, jolleying, refers to the production of hollow ware, such as cups.
A graphic representation of a primitive rotating pottery wheel made of clay and positioned on the ground, based on archaeological finds in Romania
A graphic depiction of an ancient potter's wheel proposed by archaeologist Ștefan Cucoș, based on the findings in Valeni [ro], Feliceni and Ghelăiești in Romania
Most early ceramic ware was hand-built using a simple coiling technique in which clay was rolled into long threads that were then pinched and smoothed together to form the body of a vessel. In the coiling method of construction, all the energy required to form the main part of a piece is supplied indirectly by the hands of the potter. Early ceramics built by coiling were often placed on mats or large leaves to allow them to be worked more conveniently. The evidence of this lies in mat or leaf impressions left in the clay of the base of the pot. This arrangement allowed the potter to rotate the vessel during construction, rather than walk around it to add coils of clay.
The oldest forms of the potter's wheel (called tourneys or slow wheels) were probably developed as an extension to this procedure. Tournettes, in use around 4500 BC in the Near East, were turned slowly by hand or by foot while coiling a pot. Only a small range of vessels were fashioned on the tournette, suggesting that it was used by a limited number of potters.[2] The introduction of the slow wheel increased the efficiency of hand-powered pottery production.
In the mid to late 3rd millennium BC the fast wheel was developed, which operated on the flywheel principle. It utilised energy stored in the rotating mass of the heavy stone wheel itself to speed the process. This wheel was wound up and charged with energy by kicking, or pushing it around with a stick, providing angular momentum. The fast wheel enabled a new process of pottery-making to develop, called throwing, in which a lump of clay was placed centrally on the wheel and then squeezed, lifted and shaped as the wheel turned. The process tends to leave rings on the inside of the pot and can be used to create thinner-walled pieces and a wider variety of shapes, including stemmed vessels, so wheel-thrown pottery can be distinguished from handmade. Potters could now produce many more pots per hour, a first step towards industrialization.
Potter in Guatil, Costa Rica, using a hand-powered wheel, 2003
Many modern scholars suggest that the first potter's wheel was first developed by the ancient Sumerians in Mesopotamia.[3] A stone potter's wheel found at the Sumerian city of Ur in modern-day Iraq has been dated to about 3129 BC,[4] but fragments of wheel-thrown pottery of an even earlier date have been recovered in the same area.[4] However, southeastern Europe[5] and China[6] have also been claimed as possible places of origin. Furthermore, the wheel was also in popular use by potters starting around 3500 BC in major cities of the Indus Valley civilization in South Asia, namely Harappa and Mohenjo-daro (Kenoyer, 2005).[citation needed] Others consider Egypt as "being the place of origin of the potter's wheel. It was here that the turntable shaft was lengthened about 3000 BC and a flywheel added.[citation needed] The flywheel was kicked and later was moved by pulling the edge with the left hand while forming the clay with the right. This led to the counterclockwise motion for the potter's wheel which is almost universal."[7] Hence the exact origin of the wheel is not wholly clear yet.
A potter shapes pottery with his hands while operating a mechanical potter's wheel with his foot, 1902
In the Iron Age, the potter's wheel in common use had a turning platform about one metre (3 feet) over the floor, connected by a long axle to a heavy flywheel at ground level. This arrangement allowed the potter to keep the turning wheel rotating by kicking the flywheel with the foot, leaving both hands free for manipulating the vessel under construction. However, from an ergonomic standpoint, sweeping the foot from side to side against the spinning hub is rather awkward. At some point[when?], an alternative solution was invented that involved a crankshaft with a lever that converted up-and-down motion into rotary motion.
The use of the motor-driven wheel has become common in modern times, particularly with craft potters and educational institutions, although human-powered ones are still in use and are preferred by some studio potters.
Techniques of throwingEdit
Hand positions used during wheel-throwing1836 pottery wheel demonstration at Conner Prairie living historical museum
A skilled potter can quickly throw a vessel from up to 15 kg (30 lb) of clay.[8] Alternatively, by throwing and adding coils of clay then throwing again, pots up to four feet high may be made, the heat of a blowlamp being used to firm each thrown section before adding the next coil. In Chinese manufacturing, very large pots are made by two throwers working simultaneously.
^Sophia, Sophia. "Best Pottery Wheel". Best Crafter Studio. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
^Roux, Valentine; Miroschedji, Pierre (2009). "Revisiting the History of the Potter's Wheel in the Southern Levant". Levant. 41 (2): 155–173. doi:10.1179/007589109X12484491671095. S2CID 162097444.
^Kramer, Samuel Noah (1963). The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press. p. 290. ISBN0-226-45238-7.
^ abMoorey, Peter Roger Stuart (1999) [1994]. Ancient Mesopotamian Materials and Industries: The Archaeological Evidence. Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns. p. 146. ISBN9781575060422.
^Cucoș, Ștefan (1999). "Faza Cucuteni B în zona subcarpatică a Moldovei" [Cucuteni B period in the lower Carpathian region of Moldova]. Bibliotheca Memoriae Antiquitatis (BMA) (Memorial Library Antiquities) (in Romanian). Piatra Neamț, Romania: Muzeul de Istorie Piatra Neamț (Historical Museum Piatra Neamț). 6. OCLC 223302267.
Isaac Button, Soil Hill Pottery near Halifax, England; Lakeside Pottery
The last Iranian woman potter using the ancient technique. Location: Pirtaj village in Chang-almas region in western Iran; Lakeside Pottery
Modern electric pottery wheels in Russia
With Us, You Can Create Your Own Pottery Arts
September 28, 2023
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For the magazine named The Potter s Wheel see The Potters artists group In pottery a potter s wheel is a machine used in the shaping known as throwing of clay into round ceramic ware The wheel may also be used during the process of trimming excess clay from leather hard dried ware that is stiff but malleable and for applying incised decoration or rings of colour Use of the potter s wheel became widespread throughout the Old World but was unknown in the Pre Columbian New World where pottery was handmade by methods that included coiling and beating Classic potter s kick wheel in Erfurt GermanyAn electric potter s wheel with bat green disk and throwing bucket Not shown is a foot pedal used to control the speed of the wheel similar to a sewing machineA potter s wheel may occasionally be referred to as a potter s lathe However that term is better used for another kind of machine that is used for a different shaping process turning similar to that used for shaping of metal and wooden articles The pottery wheel is an important component to create arts and craft products 1 The techniques of jiggering and jolleying can be seen as extensions of the potter s wheel in jiggering a shaped tool is slowly brought down onto the plastic clay body that has been placed on top of the rotating plaster mould The jigger tool shapes one face the mould the other The term is specific to the shaping of flat ware such as plates whilst a similar technique jolleying refers to the production of hollow ware such as cups Contents 1 History 2 Techniques of throwing 3 The potter s wheel in myth and legend 4 References 5 External linksHistory Edit nbsp A graphic representation of a primitive rotating pottery wheel made of clay and positioned on the ground based on archaeological finds in Romania nbsp A graphic depiction of an ancient potter s wheel proposed by archaeologist Ștefan Cucoș based on the findings in Valeni ro Feliceni and Ghelăiești in Romania Most early ceramic ware was hand built using a simple coiling technique in which clay was rolled into long threads that were then pinched and smoothed together to form the body of a vessel In the coiling method of construction all the energy required to form the main part of a piece is supplied indirectly by the hands of the potter Early ceramics built by coiling were often placed on mats or large leaves to allow them to be worked more conveniently The evidence of this lies in mat or leaf impressions left in the clay of the base of the pot This arrangement allowed the potter to rotate the vessel during construction rather than walk around it to add coils of clay The oldest forms of the potter s wheel called tourneys or slow wheels were probably developed as an extension to this procedure Tournettes in use around 4500 BC in the Near East were turned slowly by hand or by foot while coiling a pot Only a small range of vessels were fashioned on the tournette suggesting that it was used by a limited number of potters 2 The introduction of the slow wheel increased the efficiency of hand powered pottery production In the mid to late 3rd millennium BC the fast wheel was developed which operated on the flywheel principle It utilised energy stored in the rotating mass of the heavy stone wheel itself to speed the process This wheel was wound up and charged with energy by kicking or pushing it around with a stick providing angular momentum The fast wheel enabled a new process of pottery making to develop called throwing in which a lump of clay was placed centrally on the wheel and then squeezed lifted and shaped as the wheel turned The process tends to leave rings on the inside of the pot and can be used to create thinner walled pieces and a wider variety of shapes including stemmed vessels so wheel thrown pottery can be distinguished from handmade Potters could now produce many more pots per hour a first step towards industrialization nbsp Potter in Guatil Costa Rica using a hand powered wheel 2003Many modern scholars suggest that the first potter s wheel was first developed by the ancient Sumerians in Mesopotamia 3 A stone potter s wheel found at the Sumerian city of Ur in modern day Iraq has been dated to about 3129 BC 4 but fragments of wheel thrown pottery of an even earlier date have been recovered in the same area 4 However southeastern Europe 5 and China 6 have also been claimed as possible places of origin Furthermore the wheel was also in popular use by potters starting around 3500 BC in major cities of the Indus Valley civilization in South Asia namely Harappa and Mohenjo daro Kenoyer 2005 citation needed Others consider Egypt as being the place of origin of the potter s wheel It was here that the turntable shaft was lengthened about 3000 BC and a flywheel added citation needed The flywheel was kicked and later was moved by pulling the edge with the left hand while forming the clay with the right This led to the counterclockwise motion for the potter s wheel which is almost universal 7 Hence the exact origin of the wheel is not wholly clear yet nbsp A potter shapes pottery with his hands while operating a mechanical potter s wheel with his foot 1902In the Iron Age the potter s wheel in common use had a turning platform about one metre 3 feet over the floor connected by a long axle to a heavy flywheel at ground level This arrangement allowed the potter to keep the turning wheel rotating by kicking the flywheel with the foot leaving both hands free for manipulating the vessel under construction However from an ergonomic standpoint sweeping the foot from side to side against the spinning hub is rather awkward At some point when an alternative solution was invented that involved a crankshaft with a lever that converted up and down motion into rotary motion The use of the motor driven wheel has become common in modern times particularly with craft potters and educational institutions although human powered ones are still in use and are preferred by some studio potters Techniques of throwing Edit nbsp Hand positions used during wheel throwing nbsp 1836 pottery wheel demonstration at Conner Prairie living historical museumA skilled potter can quickly throw a vessel from up to 15 kg 30 lb of clay 8 Alternatively by throwing and adding coils of clay then throwing again pots up to four feet high may be made the heat of a blowlamp being used to firm each thrown section before adding the next coil In Chinese manufacturing very large pots are made by two throwers working simultaneously The potter s wheel in myth and legend EditIn Ancient Egyptian mythology the deity Khnum was said to have formed the first humans on a potter s wheel References Edit Sophia Sophia Best Pottery Wheel Best Crafter Studio Retrieved 27 August 2022 Roux Valentine Miroschedji Pierre 2009 Revisiting the History of the Potter s Wheel in the Southern Levant Levant 41 2 155 173 doi 10 1179 007589109X12484491671095 S2CID 162097444 Kramer Samuel Noah 1963 The Sumerians Their History Culture and Character Chicago Illinois University of Chicago Press p 290 ISBN 0 226 45238 7 a b Moorey Peter Roger Stuart 1999 1994 Ancient Mesopotamian Materials and Industries The Archaeological Evidence Winona Lake Indiana Eisenbrauns p 146 ISBN 9781575060422 Cucoș Ștefan 1999 Faza Cucuteni B in zona subcarpatică a Moldovei Cucuteni B period in the lower Carpathian region of Moldova Bibliotheca Memoriae Antiquitatis BMA Memorial Library Antiquities in Romanian Piatra Neamț Romania Muzeul de Istorie Piatra Neamț Historical Museum Piatra Neamț 6 OCLC 223302267 萧山日报 数字报纸 Archived from the original on 2011 07 07 Hamer Frank Hamer Janet 2004 The Potter s Dictionary of Materials and Techniques p 383 Isaac Button Country Potter 1965 Film amp TV Database BFI Archived from the original on 2008 09 12 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Potter s wheel Choosing A Pottery Wheel Pottery video on Internet Archive Earliest Depiction of a Kick Wheel in Egypt Isaac Button Soil Hill Pottery near Halifax England Lakeside Pottery The last Iranian woman potter using the ancient technique Location Pirtaj village in Chang almas region in western Iran Lakeside Pottery Modern electric pottery wheels in Russia With Us You Can Create Your Own Pottery Arts Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Potter 27s wheel amp oldid 1169780794, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
