This piece is a functioning vessel meant to be in the form of a small drinking cup. The lines carved into the side held the user hold it and keep it from slipping. The ridge isn't very sharp, making it comfortable for the potential user to drink out of it.
The elements of design that were used were mainly texture, as well as shape. The shape of the cup is important to hold liquid. It was inspired by the small cups of tea sometimes offered at Chinese restaurants. While I made this vessel, I was thinking about what would I like from a cup. I would want the lip to be smooth and the bottom flat so it wouldn't wobble. I chose to focus on the functionality of the vessel. I was attempting to recreate those teacups from the restaurants, but with my own influence. This vessel was not successful because the bottom is not very flat and the cup wobbles. It is also not possible to put in the kiln because the proper clay sculpting techniques were not used, like rolling the clay beforehand or keeping the sides of the cup a proper width to not crack. But as far as looks go, it could be a lot worse. |