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sprigging a la wedgwood - how?

updated sat 16 feb 02

 

Dave Gayman on wed 13 feb 02


Does anybody know how Josiah does (did) the sprigging on the blue
jasperware? How do you fasten down white sprigs on a totally different
colored background, without smearing along the line of jointure or
otherwise compromising the color of either the sprig or the base pot?

Dave

Ann Brink on wed 13 feb 02


Dave, I can't say I KNOW how he did it, but just this morning I was
conjuring up mental images of how it might be done cleanly. (looking at my
new book about Bernard Palissy, seeing many applied press-molded small
forms)

I think I would have a handle on the press mold and use it to lay the sprig
on the pot's surface. Have the edges of the mold tidy. Maybe put a little
slip on the molded piece.

Well, that's just my uninformed opinion...If I learn a tricky technique as I
get further into this book, I'll post it.

Ann Brink in CA


----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Gayman"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2002 2:12 PM
Subject: Sprigging a la Wedgwood - how?


> Does anybody know how Josiah does (did) the sprigging on the blue
> jasperware? How do you fasten down white sprigs on a totally different
> colored background, without smearing along the line of jointure or
> otherwise compromising the color of either the sprig or the base pot?
>
> Dave
>
>

MartinDEpstein on wed 13 feb 02


Sprigging requires no slip or scoring. I spray a little water on the pot=

and on the sprig and pop it on. It takes a little practice but I can see=

how it can be done with blue and white. I am not in on any secrets of
Wedgewood but I do a lot of sprigging on stoneware. =

Martin Howard on thu 14 feb 02


slip between sprig & pot?>

Fingers only.
They leave the clay in the mould for a short time.
Press it to curl it so that it comes out.
Leave on a board to dry a little.
Then present it to the pot with just a little water, or is it Magic Water?
and gently smooth down.
Perfect. Simple.
But easy?
I wonder:-)

Martin Howard
Webbs Cottage Pottery
Woolpits Road, Great Saling
BRAINTREE, Essex CM7 5DZ
01371 850 423
martin@webbscottage.co.uk
http://www.webbscottage.co.uk
Updated 8th February 2002

Martin Howard on thu 14 feb 02


When you are in the UK, visit Wedgwood and you can see it being done in real
time.

Looks very easy, but there is a lot of experience and practice involved:-)

Martin Howard
Webbs Cottage Pottery
Woolpits Road, Great Saling
BRAINTREE, Essex CM7 5DZ
01371 850 423
martin@webbscottage.co.uk
http://www.webbscottage.co.uk
Updated 8th February 2002

Dave Gayman on thu 14 feb 02


I'd love to visit, but am Massachusetts-bound for the next several
months. Do they use tools to apply the sprigs? Fingers? Do they put any
slip between sprig & pot?

Dave

At 06:46 AM 2/14/2002 +0000, you wrote:
>When you are in the UK, visit Wedgwood and you can see it being done in real
>time.
>
>Looks very easy, but there is a lot of experience and practice involved:-)
>
>Martin Howard

Gavin Stairs on thu 14 feb 02


I read about this once a long time ago. I seem to recall a spatula being
used, and highly skilled craftsmen, and breathing on the sprig or the
spatula. I think it goes like this: you make the sprig in a plaster
mould, then when it is leather hard, you lightly mist a clean spatula with
your breath, adhere it to the back of the sprig, lift it out and transfer
it to the pot by sliding it off the spatula onto the pot, which no doubt
you have dampened. The final steps would be to press down with a soft pad
to ensure contact throughout, and fix up any defects.

That's the best I can remember. Gavin

At 10:16 PM 13/02/2002 -0500, you wrote:
>Sprigging requires no slip or scoring. I spray a little water on the pot=
>
>and on the sprig and pop it on. It takes a little practice but I can see=
>
>how it can be done with blue and white. I am not in on any secrets of
>Wedgewood but I do a lot of sprigging on stoneware. =
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
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Richard Jeffery on thu 14 feb 02


clips I've seen on TV here seem to show [if my memory holds good] the sprig
being lifted out of the mould with I think a small ball of clay, the surface
being sponged quickly with clean [what looks like] water, and the sprig
carefully lined up and smoothed down.

in about 7 seconds.





Richard Jeffery

Web Design and Photography
www.theeleventhweb.co.uk
Bournemouth UK



-----Original Message-----
From: Ceramic Arts Discussion List [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On
Behalf Of Dave Gayman
Sent: 14 February 2002 13:30
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: Sprigging a la Wedgwood - how?


I'd love to visit, but am Massachusetts-bound for the next several
months. Do they use tools to apply the sprigs? Fingers? Do they put any
slip between sprig & pot?

Dave

At 06:46 AM 2/14/2002 +0000, you wrote:
>When you are in the UK, visit Wedgwood and you can see it being done in
real
>time.
>
>Looks very easy, but there is a lot of experience and practice involved:-)
>
>Martin Howard

____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org

You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/

Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.

Steve Mills on thu 14 feb 02


Clay for the sprig is pushed into the mould, the back scraped flat, then
rubbed briefly with a small (sort of) spoon shaped tool to release it
and the sprig dumped face up on a damp cloth pad. The area where the
sprig is going is wetted lightly with a brush, the sprig dropped into
place, and pressed lightly with another cloth pad, this excludes the
water and any air so, in effect, the sprig stays put by vacuum. The
whole process takes a fraction longer than it takes you to read this!
Obviously the vessel is at exactly the right level of dampness for the
two pieces to bond, hence the speed of operation.
Watched it being done. Such skill!

Steve
Bath
UK

In message , Dave Gayman writes
>Does anybody know how Josiah does (did) the sprigging on the blue
>jasperware? How do you fasten down white sprigs on a totally different
>colored background, without smearing along the line of jointure or
>otherwise compromising the color of either the sprig or the base pot?
>
>Dave

--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK

Richard Selfridge on fri 15 feb 02


Richard Jeffery wrote

"clips I've seen on TV here seem to show [if my memory holds good] the sprig
being lifted out of the mould with I think a small ball of clay, the surface
being sponged quickly with clean [what looks like] water, and the sprig
carefully lined up and smoothed down.
in about 7 seconds".

A few (maybe 15 or 20) years ago A "potter" from Wedgwood gave a demo at
the local department store, The Hudsons Bay, as part of a promo to sell
Wedgwood Jasper ware. He demonstrated the sprigging process as well as
showed a film of the pottery. I was suprised to see that there were about
four to six times as many trimmers than throwers employed there.
The blanks for the vases were roughly thrown very thick and then trimed on
a chuck on a horizontal lathe like device to a profile template. The sprigs
were pressed into plaster molds, smoothed with a palette knife and then
lifted by wetting the palette knife and slickly lifting them out and
placing them on the cheese hard vase and sliding the knife out from under.
Very fast but really a dronelike job. The sprigs were white on the blue
clay body.

Regards, Richard and Carol Selfridge
http://www.selfridgeceramicart.ca