Horsehair Jars

Horsehair pottery is made from a white stoneware clay that has been bisque fired to a lower than usual temperature. Later, the bisque is warmed up in the kiln to about 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. When it is removed, individual strands of horsehair are laid against the hot surface. If the temperature on the surface of the piece is just right, the hair will attach to the pot, shrivel up, and begin to burn off leaving a carbonized trace of the horsehair. When the ashes are washed away and the piece is completely dry, three coats of paste wax are applied to give a soft lasting luster.