Coil Building: Pots Made Rope by Rope
Photo: Courtney Cook / Unsplash
To coil-build, the maker rolls clay into long, even ropes and lays them one atop another, spiralling upward to form a wall. Each coil is pressed and blended into the one below, inside and out, until the joins disappear and the wall is solid.
It is patient work. A tall planter might take days, with the maker building only as high as the soft clay can support before leaving it to firm up overnight. Rushing leads to collapse, so the technique teaches a kind of calm discipline.
The reward is freedom of form. Coiling can produce big, bold, asymmetric shapes that a wheel never could — which is why so many of our most characterful pieces are built this way.
