Replicating Ancient Pottery - 3000 Year Old STIRRUP NECK POT!!

[@kathleenmatthews1737]

Dog gone it Ann, you've done it again! Well done. I also love the tie in with historical pottery. Thanks so much!

[@annruel1982]

Im so glad you enjoyed it Kathleen! I saw these in the museum and was so inspired to try and reproduce one. It really is a neat design. I like the history of it too.

[@lehacarpenter7773]

Wow. Gorgeous.

[@patspotpage]

Thanks for this Ann! One of my favorite assignments last year was to pick an historical pot, research how it was made, and replicate it. I chose face jugs, and in particular, one named Squire Pofu. I really learned a lot, not just about face jugs but about American history. I intend to repeat the exercise annually with different historical pieces. Your video has reminded me to start looking!

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Cool! I was thinking the same thing - pick an ancient method and try and replicate the piece - I really enjoyed this experiment.

[@CallUsTemily]

It’s like a ancient travel mug - easy to carry around, prevents spills!

[@annruel1982]

Haha, I was thinking the same thing, in fact I was thinking if we could condense this form to fit into a cup holder and put the same sort of stirrup handle spout to the top, it would be really popular, right.

[@LittleStreetPottery]

@@annruel1982 Very trendy accessory and a must for attending the human sacrifice ceremonies.

[@annruel1982]

@@LittleStreetPottery Hahaha, and that too of course 🙂

[@deborahdanhauer8525]

These are fantastic! I love ancient pottery and follow a Utuber called Andy Wards Ancient Pottery. That dish, or gourd or shard used to coil or mold pottery on, is something he calls a “pookie ” ( I’m not sure of the spelling). I love your vases, I hope we can see the condor finished too🐝🤗❤️

[@annruel1982]

Thanks Deborah. Andy Ward's videos are awesome arent they. I remember watching a Maria Martinez video where she hand built her wares and I think she called her form like a puka or something similar. ....If I get that condor finished I will try and post it to the Community section of our You Tube channel. Tahnks for asking!

[@deborahdanhauer8525]

@@annruel1982 Yes, I love to watch him fire the pots outside🤗 Thanks for posting the condor. Have a great day🐝🤗❤️

[@KatAtkinson]

I am in love with these! I will definitely try to make my own. Problem is I never can get things really smooth like you. Must practice more lol

[@annruel1982]

Hey Kat! I know what you mean. I fell in love with these too and just had to make one. As far as getting things really smooth, it is just a conscious effort to keep my fingers off the clay as much as possible. My classes used to say, you want the least amount of DNA on the clay 🙂

[@Eddie-wn8tu]

So wonderful, thank you. The scooping and hollowing technique, unexpected, I love that... New trick for me. Thank you

[@cherylfarrens7528]

This was a fantastic video. I've recently started exploring ancient pottery and handbuilding with terracotta and wild clays. Thank you for the inspiration.

[@carlasstudydiary5807]

This is so fascinating! Thank you for your insights

[@lorimecikalski3079]

Just brilliant! Loved every minute of this video. I wish I had a modicum of your talent.

[@annruel1982]

Aw...that is so nice of. you Lori! Thanks for the kind words and thank you for watching! Have a great day!

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@easterazali9237]

You did a great job my dear 🥰👍

[@annruel1982]

Aww...thanks so much Easter!! I appreciate that and thank you for watching!

[@chelemathewsmartines1861]

Very cool Ann!❤

[@annruel1982]

Thanks so much Chele!!!

[@eildonn]

This is great. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@annruel1982]

Hi Eileen!!! So great to hear from you. Im glad you enjoyed it!!!

[@penguinista]

I started using slip instead of water to wet my pots on the wheel and when brushing away the tool marks on a piece. It removes less clay and just makes thing much more slick.

[@annruel1982]

Thanks penguinista. What an interesting idea. thanks for sharing it with me :-)

[@rutilopata8294]

Truly masterful Ann! Love ancient pottery! Question: why coil the bowls vs place a slab in the form? Is this how they use to make it or it makes a “better fit”? Thank you and I love the finished work👏✨💐

[@annruel1982]

Hey Ruti. Good question. I have actually tried to make a slab to fit into this form, but the form is too deep for the slab to stretch into that circular space. The slab either stretches too thin at the bottom and cracks or the slab buckles along the sides and you have to cut it to fit creating areas of my clay that may warp because I have already rolled it flat. Now if I wanted to start with a small circular slab, fit that in the botttom and then coil the rest of the form I could do that but in tribute to the culture that created this form, I thought I would coil the entire thing like I have read that they did.

[@nancyltate2943]

Lots of work but looks like fun

[@annruel1982]

Thanks so much Nancy. Yes, it is a lot of work, but I really enjoyed doing it and it was so satisfying when it was done. 🙂

[@jackiemorrison2661]

Amazing!!!

[@carolynpollack1083]

I love how you did this. I've been wanting to have a go at something similar. After watching your video, I think I'll definitely try.

[@annruel1982]

Hi Carolyn. Im glad you were inspired. Go for it. One more tip that I should have emphasized more in the video is after you smooth out the coils in the body, put it back inside the bottom styrofoam mold to support the shape and dry slowly. This way you will avoid the weight of the clay at the top pushing down and distorting the shape ..and putting pressure on the clay at the bottom which could cause stress cracks. Have fun!!

[@denisedooley7670]

I was asked to recreate a little amphora to match one of a pair that had been broken, it was a challenge to recreate the glaze after hand building about 6 of them 😊

[@annruel1982]

Hi Denise. that sounds like a fun project!! I love the amphora design and I bet you had to do a lot of research to figure out how to glaze them.....thanks for watching!

[@AnaMahsati]

I'd love to see the process of carving the condor. It looks great! Thanks for this video, I keep learning from you.

[@LittleStreetPottery]

We are thinking about making another carving vid so stay tuned! Thanks.

[@sofiaceleste6299]

HERMOSO TRABAJO!! FELICIDADES!! 👏👏👏👏👏

[@annruel1982]

Gracias Sofia!!! Me alegra que te guste

[@marnagasperino276]

This is so helpful, Ann. Tell me, please, what kind of clay were you using? It seems very pliable and plastic.

[@annruel1982]

Hi Marna. I was using a Standard brand stoneware with grog. Thanks for watching!!

[@gracequach6769]

I’m gonna give this a shot too :D

[@darikabarker7473]

Thanks

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Thanks for your support and welcome to the team!! Look for your title in an upcoming video!!

[@rosset4music]

beautiful

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Thank you! 😊

[@AncientPottery]

Great video! If you ever want to try some authentic materials (native clay and pigments) let me know, I would love to help you out.

[@annruel1982]

that is so awesome Andy!! It is great to hear from you. I love your channel!! I would love to hear more about what native clays and pigments they would have used for these. amazing how they did these and brilliant in their designs.

[@AncientPottery]

@@annruel1982 Thanks Ann! I've been subscribed to your channel for a long time and enjoy it too. I don't know a lot about South American pottery but I have long admired it and I have a few friends in South America who make gorgeous replicas of their ancient pottery there. I just meant that if you ever want to try making pottery with native clay and pigments I would gladly send you a "care package" with some materials to try.

[@kevincook5750]

Hi Ann. We love your work. Why did you build the pot with coils rather than rolling out a slab?

[@LittleStreetPottery]

I could have gone that way or even thrown a closed form on the wheel then added the spout. I think I just wanted to get a sense of the way that it was originally done to see if I could do it. Of course with the help of Styrofoam and diamondcore tools :)

[@kevincook5750]

@@LittleStreetPottery Thank you. I was wondering if that was how it was originally done. :)

[@annruel1982]

Hey Kevin, Good question. I have actually tried to make a slab to fit into this form, but the form is too deep for the slab to stretch into that circular space. The slab either stretches too thin at the bottom and cracks or the slab buckles along the sides and you have to cut a dart into the side to fit creating areas of my clay that may warp because I have already rolled it flat. Now if I wanted to start with a small circular slab, fit that in the botttom and then coil the rest of the form I could do that but in tribute to the culture that created this form, I thought I would coil the entire thing like I have read that they did. There are a lot of ways I could go about creating this I just did one way. Give it a try . It is a lot of fun.

[@kevincook5750]

@@annruel1982 My wife and I own a ceramic shop and we are always looking for things that inspire our customers :) Thank you again :)

[@eildonn]

I like your clay. What kind is it?

[@annruel1982]

Hey Eileen. I usually just have my porcelain on hand to use, but I actually had a box of Standard White 240 Grog so I made this one with that 🙂

[@GeraldBlack1]

Mom brought me an ocarina from Honduras and it sounds horrible. So I decided to make my own. I have sold about 500 of my little musical critters since then!

[@annruel1982]

I love Ocarinas. they can be tricky to get them to play and even more so to get them tuned. Sounds like. you have figured out the secrets to that. I am hoping to do another video but perhaps doing whistling pots. Have you seen those. You would love them. they fill them with water to make them work.

[@GeraldBlack1]

@@annruel1982 it is tricky to get the fipple hole and the mouth hole just right. I had to make a special tool "stick" for this. About a 1/4 inch works pretty good for hand size pieces. Fine tune while leather hard. Those chirping bottles are fun too. Practice makes perfect, and they don't all survive after QC.

[@GeraldBlack1]

After you get the form down the limitless fun comes in with the ears, eyes, tails, horns, wings, whiskers, paws ect....and glazing of course, there's no copyrights on pottery lol!

[@GeraldBlack1]

I start with a ball and cut it in half basically sticking pinch pots together, stick a mouthpiece on and wait... Lot to do with timing.

[@katharinelloyd5293]

@@GeraldBlack1 I have a lovely ocarina I purchased in Wales. I’ve tried a few times to make one, with no success. You have inspired me to try again - Diolch yn fawr! (Thank you very much, in Welsh)

[@lastllamajedi6588]

If only people still used these I would totally make this my water bottle 😂

[@LittleStreetPottery]

We're trying to bring the Middle Bronze Era back into fashion...:)

[@MRC11221]

If you watch Andy Ward's Ancient Pottery, you will see a coil technique was used to make pots.

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Yeah, good channel!

[@AncientPottery]

Yeah I love that guy, LOL

[@annruel1982]

@@AncientPottery ANDY WARD!!!! Oh my gosh!! What an honor, thanks for posting and thanks for watching. I hope I did the Cupisnique people justice with their brilliant designs. I love your channel. It is always a good idea for us contemporary potters to remember the past and understand how we arrived to where we are now.

[@AncientPottery]

@@annruel1982 Definitely! There is still so much we can learn from those potters of the past.

[@Noble-yc8wz]

Anne can you please show us the technique for how you GLAZED this piece please? This " Black wash " you mention....how exactly did you do that ? Did you cover the pot in a black glaze then did a scraffito with the lines ? Please show me ...its exactly the finish that I want on my pieces....yet I bisque fire mine then cover them with iron Oxide..and wipe off with sponge....similar effect but would love a glossy affect rather than the matt from the oxide. I love your work...all the way down under in AUSTRALIA !!! 💕❤💜💙💛💚🧡

[@LittleStreetPottery]

It was pretty simple really. I carved it when leather hard, bisque fired it to cone 04, then glazed it with Amaco Storm (celadon) glaze and fired to cone 5. Just brushed it with 3 coats. It breaks nicely over carved lines. Try it out…hope you can get that glaze there.

[@Bholisoul]

its called, Huaco :😊 "Huaco or Guaco is the generic name given in Peru mostly to earthen vessels and other finely made pottery artworks by the indigenous peoples of the Americas found in pre-Columbian sites such as burial locations, sanctuaries, temples and other ancient ruins. Huacos are not mere earthenware but notable pottery specimens linked to ceremonial, religious, artistic or aesthetic uses in central Andean, pre-Columbian civilizations."

[@annruel1982]

Wow, thanks for that information Bholi! Jim and I were thinking that it was probably used for religious ceremonies as a lot of the imagery and forms looked like they might be connected to formal ceremonies.

[@Bholisoul]

​@@annruel1982 My pleasuer, I lived in peru for Many years and I think there are many uses for them, but dont really know, many of them are just so beautyful and well conserved and dont seem to have been used for daily use, think that they wer like something ceremonial..some kind of offer to god, ,Ive been in mexico and some of their ceramics are so alike.

[@annruel1982]

@@Bholisoul Awesome! Well, I can see why that particular design would have been popular because of the utilitarian use for it. but because it is also beautiful I can see that it would have made use for official ceremonies too.

[@Bholisoul]

you made a very beatiful modern huaco, loved it ,

[@shellw1506]

Archeologists believe that ancient Egyptians used organic material cores (especially for beads) that would be combusted during the firing process. Do you think it’s possible that the stem could have been formed around and organic combustible core?

[@LittleStreetPottery]

Dont know, that is an interesting hypothesis though. I can see why they would be less concerned about the burn off of organic materials vs. today...gotta think more about that one! Interesting.

[@LittleStreetPottery]

yes, i suppose so...interesting!

[@lucindadangles-ru5il]

would have been a lot faster on the wheel

[@LittleStreetPottery]

We tried to find a 3000 year old wheel but alas, Brent was out of stock. 😀