Slip-Trailed Ceramic Baubles by SP Morgan Studio

Small Forms, Fine Details

Decorating Slip-Trailed Ceramic Baubles

The photographs show small, rounded baubles with short necks, covered in raised dots, curling lines and little leaf-like marks. Some designs wander across the surface; others gather around the shoulders, leaving more of the clay exposed.

The repeated shape gives the collection a pleasing consistency, while the individual decoration makes each piece slightly different. There is something particularly appealing about seeing them at this stage: bare clay, freshly applied slip and all the detail clearly visible.

Slip casting provides the underlying form, while slip trailing adds the raised surface pattern. Here, the two techniques work beautifully together, turning a simple sphere into a small canvas for careful decoration.

Waiting for Glaze

The maker had not yet glazed these first ornaments when the photographs were taken, so the finished colours and surfaces remain to be seen. For now, the appeal lies in the quiet rhythm of dots and scrolls.

These slip-trailed ceramic baubles are a lovely example of how much character a few carefully placed marks can give a small form.

Based on the maker’s original post. Slip-casting guidance: David Edwards. Created for Sullivan Pottery’s Holiday Market.