Ceramics Field Trip

On Thursday, we went to visit the Snake Kiln in Miaoli County. It is not the biggest snake kiln in Taiwan, but it is still very big. When we went there, they first introduced us to a small kiln, which was not a snake kiln, which they used to make ceramic tiles. They said that when the fire was out in the kiln, they would pour water on the fire and brick the kiln up. Then the inside of the kiln would be covered with black smoke which would turn the tiles black. Then they showed us how their snake kiln usually baked vases, and how those vases made wines taste better because of good clay. Then they showed us how there were stamps or seals on the vases that told what company made the wine and what kind of wine was in it. They also showed us a kiln that was called a bottle kiln or something, and it was used to bake clay bottles. It was also shaped like a large bottle. The guide took us into a room and showed us the snake kiln. It looked like a gigantic leech/slug thing. There was a small hole in the front for putting in wood, and a long tunnel. At the end was the chimney.
We were given a small block of clay to make whatever we wanted. Because my hands were wet to the extent that made my block of clay equal to a slab of mud, they gave me a new piece. I made a bowl, but decided it was boring, so I stacked pieces of clay randomly on my bowl and called it an abstract sculpture. After I finished my sculpture, I went to play with the dog, who kept following Patrick around. It was fun.