Childlike Exuberance

One of the best things about running historical pottery workshops in schools, is seeing the uninhibited exuberance of the children's work. Unlike many adults, they are not afraid to express themselves in paint or clay and as a result the pots and sculptures they produce have a vitality, often lacking in the more carefully considered work of their seniors. When I return the fired pots to the schools, the children are amazed and delighted to see how the fire has changed and preserved their artwork. 

For more information about my pottery workshops for schools and museums see my earlier post HERE.

Egyptian Canopic Jars by Blackhill School Children

Egyptian Canopic Jars by Blackhill School Children 

Egyptian Shabti Figures by Blyth School Children

Roman Head Pots by Keilder School Children

Mediaeval Green Men by Bedlington School Children

Visit my website at www.pottedhistory.co.uk

Greek Pots for Dr Michael Scott

Having made the replicas used by Dr Michael Scott in his brilliant BBC2 TV series; "Who Were the Greeks", see my blog entry "TV Props, Greek Bronzes Made From Clay" , I was delighted when Dr Scott contacted me and commissioned some replicas to use in his teaching at Warwick University. Now I will say at this point, when Michael contacted me I had anticipated that I'd be making some fairly high status pieces but I wasn't quite prepared for the reference material that he eventually sent me. On a trip to the British Museum he'd taken some photographs of some of the most magnificent Greek pots that he could find: the Douris Cooler, the Berlin Krater, the Phrynos Kylix and the Sharpedon Kylix:

I've replicated Greek red and black figure pottery before but these pieces were the creme de la creme, they were high status when they were first created and they're still high status today. why? Well for the complexity of their manufacture, the refinement of their form and by no means least, the skill of the painter who decorated them. The pots shown here are my, or should I say our replicas not the originals. I made the pots, but my wife Lynda Taylor, a professional artist, decorated them, they required the best! 

The precision with which the pots are made, the perfect alignment of the stem of the kylix and the crispness of the foot, shoulder and rim of the krater, tell me not only that they were made by a highly skilled potter, but that the potters' wheel on which they were thrown was very stable indeed. This was no rough stone disk pivoted on a point of rock, it was a precise piece of machinery with smooth running bearings. The same is true of all of these pots and while the potters making cups and bowls for everyday use may well have made use of primitive wheels these craftsmen had access to the very best tools. They have used that technology to push the making process to new heights, creating forms that say "Look what I can do".

More to come later, watch this space.

Visit my website at www.pottedhistory.co.uk

Greek Pottery Workshops at Wolfson College Oxford

Here are some photographs from my recent Greek Pottery Technology workshop at Wolfson College Oxford, in which participants not only learned about the ceramic science behind the creation of Black and Red Figure wares, but also had the opportunity to try their hand at a Greek style momentum wheel and created their own Rhyton.

 

Visit my website at www.pottedhistory.co.uk

TV Props, Greek Bronzes Made From Clay

Usually the replicas that I make are recognisably ceramic, and if asked, I’d always say that I’ll replicate anything as long as it’s old and made from pottery, but when it comes to TV props things aren’t always what they seem. Recently I was contacted by Tern Television who were making a documentary for BBC2 entitled “Who Were The Greeks?”.  The two part mini series, presented by Dr Michael Scott of Warwick University, the program set out to highlight some little known aspects of life in ancient Greece and the ways that these still affect out lives today.  To do this, a number of specific artefacts were needed as illustrations, objects that were unavailable to the crew as they were in national collections.  So I set to making; Oil lamps to illuminate Greek silver mines; Ostraka showing the beginnings of democracy and a pot to carry sacred fire.  However the two most complex items that were needed weren’t ceramic at all, but bronze, but with the assistance of my wife Lynda Taylor, an artist, we were able to give them a bronze finish that did the job.  So here they are:

A treaty tablet documenting an alliance, of 100 hundred years duration, between Eleans and the Heraians of Arcadia. The original in now in the British Museum.

This Spartan Running Girl, 520-500 BC, sometimes called the Thigh Flasher,

found at Prizren, Serbia; possibly made in Sparta.

And last but not least, the pot, lamp and ostrakon.

Visit my website at www.pottedhistory.co.uk

ONE DAY, HANDS-ON, POTTERY WORKSHOPS FOR KS2 & KS3 SCHOOLS

Teachers, if you want a workshop for your class that combines a history lesson, with the opportunity for every child to develop their creativity while making their own replica pottery artefact, then you need one of my workshops.

POTTED HISTORY – GRAHAM TAYLOR

ONE DAY, HANDS-ON, POTTERY WORKSHOPS FOR KS2 & KS3 SCHOOLS

ROMAN, ANGLO-SAXON, TUDOR, GREEK, EGYPTIAN, BRONZE-AGE, VICTORIAN and more

These workshops combine an art and craft activity with history and are a cost effective, real alternative to a field trip; I bring a living museum to you.  I present all workshops in period costume, using tools and equipment appropriate to the era.  The day begins working with the whole class using my extensive “Portable Museum” handling collection, which acts as a springboard to talk about many aspects of life in the period.  While many subjects are covered in an informative and sometimes humorous way, these are always pitched at a level appropriate to the age group, clear but never patronising.  I will demonstrate the ways in which the pots were made, which for all except the Bronze-Age workshop, involves throwing a pot on an ancient potters wheel, proven to mesmerise the most boisterous class.  Every workshop has a hands-on element allowing the children to express their creativity, while engaging in an activity that involves real technology from the period.  By the end of the day the children will have gained considerable additional information about the historical era covered and will have produced their own replica artefact to keep.

Other activities that can, on request, form part include Archaeological Challenges, which encourage the children to look closely at artefacts and discover the stories that they can tell us about the people of the past.

The knowledge and skills gained through these activities will equip the children to better appreciate what they see when the next visit a museum, and help them to understand that a potsherd isn't just a "bit of broken pot", it's a piece of the jigsaw of the past and a part of someone’s life.

The structure of the day would normally run as follows but can be tailored to your school day: 9am to break, handling collection and demonstration session with the entire class: After break the class is divided into two or three groups of 10 to 15 children, I work with one group before lunch and two groups after lunch, for approx. 40 minutes to 1 hour each, to complete the hands-on activity.  If time allows there will be a question and answer session at the end of the day, which can be planned to include parents if required.

Hands-on projects are as follows:

Egyptian:        Canopic Jar made from pre prepared pot or Shabti figure mould made

Greek:            Rhyton (Animal head drinking cup) from pre prepared pot

Prehistoric:    Hand built Neolithic bowl and animal/deity figure

Roman:           Roman Head Pot from pre prepared pot

Anglo Saxon: Hand decorated Saxon urn from pre prepared pot

Mediaeval:     Knight Jug from pre prepared pot or a Mediaeval encaustic tile

Tudor:            Bellarmine jar made from pre prepared pot

Civil War:       Slipware Plate/bowl made from pre prepared pot

Victorian:        Painted Plate made from pre prepared pot

The following give an idea of the structure of the day:

ROMAN

The Handling Collection includes:  Amphorae, Samian Ware, Barbotine ware, lamps, deity figurines, greyware, cooking pots, head pots, mortaria, altars, incense burners, votives, etc..

Which are used to lead a lesson covering:  Trade & produce, the empire, transport, the Roman army, Hadrian’s Wall, the gods, Roman Crafts, domestic life and much more.

The Hands-On Activity:  The children will make Head Pots, representations of gods on pots;  I will bring along one pre prepared soft clay vessel for each child, the children will then model these to represent a face.  At the end of the day the pots will be taken back to my studio, dried and fired to make them permanent.  Once they are returned to the school, usually after three to four weeks, they can be painted.  

Alternative Activities:  Making a Roman Altar or Making a Roman Samian Bowl (Useful if a quicker workshop is required)

GREEK

The Handling Collection includes:  Amphorae, Rhytons, Aryballos, Ostraka, Attic Wares, Votives, Military paintings, Deity Figures, Athlete Figures, Toys, Lamps, etc..

Which are used to lead a lesson covering:  Trade & produce, the arts, the Greek & Spartan armies, the navy, Olympics & athletics, democracy, domestic life and much more.

The Hands-On Activity:  The children will make Rhytons, animal headed drinking vessels;  I will bring along one pre prepared soft clay vessel for each child, the children will then model these to represent their own chosen animal, a handle will be applied.  At the end of the day the pots will be taken back to my studio, dried and fired to make them permanent.  Once they are returned to the school, usually after three to four weeks, they can be painted.  

Alternative Activities:  Aryballos making an animal shaped perfume bottle or Attic Bowl Painting on a pre prepared and fired Greek bowl.

Much larger projects can be designed and delivered, if you have any ideas for projects large or small please contact me.

Visit my website at www.pottedhistory.co.uk

Zeus figures now available

Working on ceramic figures of Zeus for Tyne & Wear Museums today

Visit my website at www.pottedhistory.co.uk