The Birth of Benjamin

Start at the beginning

Prepare a brown clay vessel and lid, firm them up a bit, and make white clay eye balls and teeth.

Apply a little pressure

Press in eye sockets and place eye balls; press in mouth

The eyes have it

Flatten fat coils for eye lids and use smaller coils for bottom of eyes.
Smooth around the eye sockets to hold in the eyeballs. If clay is soft enough, this happens easily. Use sponge for finishing.

The nose knows

Form a nose; Slip and score. This is heavier – even with soft clay use slip.
Smooth in the sides of the nose. Insert tool for “pick-able” nostrils. This forces the bumps at the side of the nose.
With a larger jug this can be done with a finger for authenticity.

Everyone needs a mouth

Press teeth into small coil for gums . Place gums into the mouth. Some show their bottom teeth and require two applications of gums.
Coils for lips to frame the mouth – smooth in and shape.

Take a little break....

Time now for the jug to talk to you – who is it in there and what’s he thinking and doing? My hot-tea-with-honey break helped my friend to start talking!