IT’S ONE OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS WHEN SOMEONE ASKS ME TO MAKE SOMETHING BEYOND MY USUAL REPERTOIRE.

So when NewGround wanted 6oz coffee cups in porcelain but with their own glaze style, I thought what a great job!
Porcelain is a BEAUTIFUL but WILFUL material to work with, you have to understand its vagaries, and thrown porcelain is very different to the cast version you’ll find used in posh dinner services. Ideally they’re both translucently thin but that’s harder when it’s being made on a potter’s wheel.

THESE LITTLE CUPS ARE A JOY TO THROW.

I’ve now worked out how much clay I need to start with, got the proportions right and factored in the 19% shrinkage that happens to the cups as they’re fired. After throwing you let them dry until leather hard, turn them which involves tidying up the bottoms with sharp tools and checking the rims are level. Then they dry for about a week before the 1000 degree 20hr biscuit firing.
Next comes the glazing and the final 1250 degree firing. So Dickon and Joel could choose, I made a series of test glazed cups in all the different combinations of black and white glazes I have.

They knew which one they wanted straight away – Anthracite and Chun glazes.

AND THE NEWGROUND COFFEE CUP WAS BORN.

Joanna Oliver
Ceramics