Bowls

A few weeks ago I posted a poll on the Liberty Stoneware Facebook page asking, "what qualities make a good mixing bowl?" I received some good feedback including specifications on the lip, curvature, and the comfort of holding it while mixing. I thought I would share some photos of a set of bowls I made recently with some of the comments and recommendations in mind.

Graduated set of bowls

One of my biggest considerations in making these bowls is how I am going to fire them. I intend to put them in a wood-fired salt kiln, which can be a rough atmosphere. In order to have strong pieces for the kiln firing, I chose to make these bowls with rather heavy rims, and thicker sides. Each bowl also has a mate which will stack on top of it (rim to rim) in order to keep chunks of kiln debri, or other materials from sticking to the interior of the bowls.

Big Bowl

These bowls are graduated with the intention of stacking them into one another. One of the comments on the Facebook poll mentioned a handle on the side, as well as a pouring lip. I think this would be a good design element for a very large bowl, which would then be the base bowl for holding/stacking other bowls into it. However, I remember at Berea College when we made batter bowls now and again that the design never seemed to be fully functional. The handle didn't allow the bowl to be neatly stacked or stored, and the lip didn't allow the bowl to always be used for other functions unless the bowl was deep (whatever was being mixed in it would slosh out of the lip). I did go with a slightly curved exterior wall for holding it comfortably in one arm, and a fairly wide base. The interior has a smooth curve to it as well. After these bowls are fired I will post the end results!

Side and interior of bowl