Wood Fired Pottery Cup with Cork Lid
Wood Fired Pottery Cup with Cork Lid
This handmade wood fired ceramic cup is wheel thrown and fired in a wood-burning kiln, where natural flame and ash create rich surface variation and one-of-a-kind glaze effects. One side of the cup received a direct path of ash during firing, producing a natural ash melt with soft gloss and subtle texture, while the opposite side developed layered color from white clay, brown slip, and glaze interaction.
Holding approximately 10 ounces, this versatile lidded cup can be used for coffee, tea, or as a small ceramic jar. The natural cork lid allows it to function as a simple travel cup or to help retain heat, while also making it useful for storing small items or dry goods. The compact form sits comfortably in the hand and invites everyday use.
Details
This cup stands 4.5" tall, and measures 3.25" across the rim. This cup can hold 10 ounces. With the lid in place, the cup comfortably holds about 8 ounces below the lid line.
The interior of this pot is glazed in a golden tan glaze, and the rim and top few inches is glazed in woo blue glaze. The bottom 2/3rds of the cup is unglazed, wood fired ceramic - which feels quite nice. All of my pottery is microwave and dishwasher safe, unless otherwise noted.
Use
This cup would make an excellent travel coffee, espresso, or tea cup. It is also a nice size for juice, milk, really any beverage. With the lid, this pot can also make an excellent jar for keepsakes, change, or just about anything.
Process
This pot was thrown on my pottery wheel using BMix clay, a white stoneware. While still wet, I applied a brown iron oxide slip (a liquid clay mixture) to the exterior. A rubber rib was used to press through the brown slip, forming the wet clay into a swirl shape.
This piece was fired in a wood-burning kiln at Desert Dragon Pottery Studio in North Phoenix. Unlike electric or gas kilns, wood firing relies entirely on burning wood to build heat and atmosphere inside the kiln. As the kiln is stoked, flame, ash, and minerals from the burning wood move naturally around the pottery, creating organic surface markings, flashing, and subtle color transitions that cannot be replicated through glazing alone.
The kiln used is a fast-fire wood kiln that reaches temperature in approximately 12 hours. The dynamic nature of wood firing means each piece responds differently to its placement within the kiln, resulting in truly one-of-a-kind works that capture the spontaneity and beauty of the firing process.
