The making of a bowl

Hands wedging a block of raw clay on a wooden workbench
Wedging. The clay is kneaded until no air is left: a single bubble would burst in the kiln.
Clay-covered hands throwing a bowl on a potter's wheel
Throwing. Centred on the wheel, the walls rise in three pulls, thinner each time.
Hands trimming the foot of an upturned bowl among curls of clay
Trimming. Leather-hard a day later, the bowl is turned over and its foot is carved.
Hands dipping a bowl into a bucket of sage glaze
Glazing. One dip, counted to three, gives the sage glaze its soft, even depth.
Finished bowls cooling on the shelves of an open kiln
Firing. Twelve hours at 1,240 °C, then two days of patience before the kiln opens.