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Ralph EspositoCurriculum Project #1

Fulbright Hays Summer Seminar, Greece and BulgariaSummer 2008

Topic: Traditional Bulgarian Pottery The Troyan Technique

Grade Level:This project can be adapted to students of any level studying ceramics. The specific audience for my use will be post - high school/college students in an introductory ceramics class.

Stage 1 - Desired ResultsUnderstanding:Students will gain awareness of Bulgaria including a brief overview of its history, arts, and culture. Students will understand this traditional slip decorating technique and its complexity and discover creative variations of it.

Student Objectives:Students will become aware of Bulgaria, its location and historical overview, the breadth of its culture and arts, and particularly traditional Troyan pottery. They will gain an appreciation for the skill required to create this type of decoration and learn that it can be an inspiration for creative experimentation and discovery in their own work.

Stage 2 - Assessment EvidencePerformance TaskAfter viewing images, demonstrations, and participating in discussions students will be required to attempt the Troyan style of slip decorations on their own ceramic projects. They will also be required to attempt more personal creative variations of this techniques on at least one other ceramic project. Their completed projects and responses in discussions, demonstrations, and critiques will provide evidence of learning and acquisition of skills.

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Stage 3 - Learning PlanLearning Activities:Students will view images of Bulgarian geography, visual arts and historical artifacts. They will also briefly discuss Bulgarian history and contemporary arts. The students will then be required to construct some type of pottery or clay project. Depending on their skills and the type of projects they attempt, they may try the slip techniques on parts to be assembled later or on completed pieces. If skilled in throwing, they may attempt to use the slip designs on wheel made works. If not, they will use the techniques on slabs of clay that will then be used to construct their projects.

Overview of Activities:

Day 1 View slide show on Bulgaria/Troyan potteryDay 2 View demonstrations of techniquesDay 3 Make first attempts at slip techniques-flatDay 4 Refine techniques and experiment with themDay 5 Plan/begin projects using techniquesDay 6 Finish projectsNext week Dry work, bisque fire, glaze, and final fire.Next week Critique, discuss and review

Note: schedule is based on three one-hour classes per week

Information about Troyan, Bulgaria

Troyan is a small town in North Bulgaria located on the banks of the Beli Ossam River in the foothills of the Balkan Mountains. The region has been inhabited by humans since the Paleolithic era. During the Bronze Age a Thracian tribe lived in this valley. They were a people with highly developed arts and culture. Crafts have thrived there since the first half of the 19th century during which the Troyan School of Ceramics was born. The town itself was officially declared in 1868 and has become famous for its handmade artwork, especially ceramics which are sold worldwide. Today Troyan has 25, 000 inhabitants and a Museum of Folk Crafts and Applied Arts in addition to the School of Ceramics. The Troyan slip designs are well known throughout the world and can be seen across Bulgaria today.

Bulgarian Potters

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Information about ceramic techniques and materials

The traditional Troyan ceramic style is usually hand thrown on a pottery wheel using a local red clay body. Once dried to the leather hard stage (half dry), the pots are trimmed of excess clay. After a bit more drying the pots are immersed in a red clay slip. A slip is any clay in a liquid state, in this case liquid clay with color. Next, other colors of slip are added by using an ear syringe or other devices to feed the liquid onto the pot. This was originally done with a cow horn that had a hole drilled in the tip and a chicken feather quill inserted in the hole. Applied while the pot is spinning on the wheel, alternating lines of different colors of slip are created that make horizontal bands on the piece. The lines are so close that they touch. Next, while the wheel is stationary larger blobs of slip are added at the top of the bands of color. These are frequently blobs of one color topped with a contrasting blob added in the center and sometimes a third color on top of that. Now the artists bangs on the wheel top or stomps on the flywheel to cause the blobs to slide down the side of the pot. This jarring creates a downward movement in the horizontal bands as well. The bands between the blobs do not move. Finally the finishing touches are created by feathering the bands in between and around the areas where the blobs and bands have moved downward. (See photos.) After controlled slow re-drying back to the leatherhard stage, any additions (handles, knobs, etc.) are attached.

Steps in the process

Obtain clay from your local ceramic supplier. I have experimented with a number of clays and would recommend a low temperature red earthenware. The color works well and it has good working properties for both handbuilding and throwing. Roll out slabs or throw forms to start.

• Preparing slipsThe simplest way to try the Troyan techniques is to purchase commercially prepared underglazes or slips (sometimes called engobes) for the temperature range you will fire. Two readily available brands are Amaco Liquid Underglaze Decorating colors and Velvet Underglazes. These are usually too fluid but will work on horizontal surfaces. They are more expensive than making your own but are very easy as they are pre-mixed.Or:Mix your own slips (see included formulas) for the atmosphere and temperature range you will fire (should match your clay). Make sure to get the consistency the same for all colors and screen well to make smooth. Consistency effects the way the blobs and bands move.

• Loading trailing deviceI have found that ear syringes for babies are the simplest devices to use to deliver the slips. To load simply squeeze out air, hold it, and put tip of syringe into the slip. Then release pressure and allow it to suck up the slip. Most often it takes several attempts to fill the syringe. In between each attempt turn the tip upward, tap the syringe on a flat surface to make the air rise to the top. Then squeeze out air until slip emerges, hold, and continue to fill.

There are many other devices including syringes, basters, injectors, pastry bags, and others that can be used to apply slip. I have tried many and prefer the ear syringe for its simplicity and ease of use.

Load as many colors as you wish to use into the trailing devices. I recommend beginning with no more than two or three.

• Prepare forms The clay slab or pot can be wet or dried to leatherhard. I have experimented with both and stages in between. Trial and error will allow discovery of the preferred stage of dryness.

This technique is most easily done on flat horizontal surfaces. I suggest first attempting it on slabs or thrown plates.

• Coat with slipNext you can coat the clay with a layer of wet slip using a brush. Traditionally the piece would be dipped in slip to cover the entire thing but that would take a very large amount of slip. I have used a brush, poured the slip on, and omitted this layer.

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• Apply lines of alternating colors of slipsNow apply lines of one color of slip with enough space between them for the other colors you will use. Always attempt to get all air out of the syringe before starting. Tap it with the tip pointing up and squeeze out air until slip begins to emerge. Hold pressure on it and turn over with tip down and then apply. If air is inside the slip will “burp” as it is applied and will not make an even continuous line.

It is easiest to begin with only two or three colors. Try to get the alternating lines of slip close enough to each other to touch. When they touch they “connect,” flatten out and become a single layer of slip that has alternating lines of color in it. Tapping on the table or board that the piece is sitting on can assist this process. See photos on page 11.

• Apply blobsAt this point, use the slip device to create a large blob at the top of the group of horizontal lines. Use a different color to put a slightly smaller blob inside of the previous one. A third still smaller blob can be

put inside of the second one. Tap or jar the piece to flatten slips. Then tilt the piece to see if the blobs will move downward and move sections of the lines with it. Tapping may help. Be careful as the entire section of lines will move if it is too wet. Ideally there will only be movement where the blobs are.

The traditional pieces also display “feathered” the lines of slip as well. This is accomplished by dragging the soft tip of a feather through the lines of color and creating patterns (see examples). It is usually

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done between the downward moving blobs. I use a very thin and flexible broom straw for this. The tool must be flexible enough to not cut into the underlying clay but only move slips that lie on top.

Advanced students who throw can try these techniques on vertical pieces but it is much more difficult due to controlling the slips on a curved surface.

• DryingAny work made this way must be dried slowly as the slip adds a great deal of water to the surface of the clay. Pieces should not be covered until the slip has lost the shiny wet look so as to avoid spoiling the pattern. Once past that stage, drying should be stopped for at least a day and then proceed slowly. Slabs should be turned over several times during drying to avoid warping from excess shrinkage on one side. If too much slip is applied or the slip has too much water it can cause problems with the forms like cracking or warping.

This takes much practice and experimentation. Some of the factors involved are the consistency of the slip, the wetness of the clay, and the speed at which you attempt the various stages. I have found it is great to show students the traditional work and explain the technique and then encourage experimentation. Usually first attempts are not successful and so they become experiments.

My demonstrations most often have mixed results, which gives students “permission” to make mistakes. Their first attempts allow discovery of how much skill is required. I suggest experimentation with the technique without trying so hard to duplicate the results of very skilled Bulgarian craftsmen. This lets students tap into their own creativity and gain an appreciation for highly skilled ceramic work from another country and culture.

Notes: For younger students this project can be done with flat slabs of clay and simply cut into interesting shapes for wall plaques. When leatherhard drill a hole in the slab for hanging. Students with experience in handbuilding (but not throwing) can use the slabs for creating spoon rests or small trays or other handbuilt projects. I have tried mixing underglazes with slips, omitting the base layer of slip, and blending colors in the base layer of slip. Tilting, turning, and inverting pots with runny colors creates

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interesting patterns. Try brushing on colors at all stages, adding more slips to fill in or change patterns and any other variations that come to mind. I encourage this kind of experimentation with students. I have not yet perfected the Troyan technique. With enough experiments and trials. I will get closer. Perfect replication is not necessarily the result I want. I believe it is important to emphasize to students that it is not necessary to duplicate the original technique. By studying and working with it students learn about Bulgaria, its arts and this particular type of ceramics. They will gain an appreciation for the difficulty of the technique and the skill of the artist that do it. Finally (and perhaps most importantly) they will use knowledge gained from study and practice to create very personal, creative, and individual projects.

Web sites:http://www.balkania.orghttp://troyan-greenheaven.hit.bg/historyn.htmlhttp://www.ecotroyan.comhttp://www.potters.org/

Contact information:Ralph EspositoProfessor of ArtCarroll College1601 North Benton AvenueHelena, MT 59625 USAresposit@carroll.edu

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Examples of variations of the Troyan slip technique:

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More examples of variations of the Troyan slip technique:

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More examples of variations of the Troyan slip technique:

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Applying a base layer of slip that uses two different colors of slip.

Applying a line of contrasting slip.

Applying alternating contrasting lines to a slab (above and below).

Filling in gaps. Tapping board slab is on to flatten lines.

Applying more lines.

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Slip designs on bowls in the wet stage.

The same bowls after glazing and final firing.

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These are slab wall plaques in the drying stage. Note hole drilled in top for hanging.

completed slab tray

completed slab spoon rests

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Cone 6 White Slip Formula (base for colors)(Use 20 oz. water per 500 grams dry slip to start - screen thoroughly) Bentonite 3 30 300Ball clay (C&C) 28 280 2800Kaolin (EPK) 29 290 2900Flint (silica) 20 200 2000Custer feldspar 20 200 2000Total 100 1000 10000

Slip Colors (add to white formula)

For 100 grams base add: For 500 grams: Light Blue Mason stain #6376 1.5 grams 7.5 grams Medium Blue cobalt carbonate 1 gram 5 grams Dark Blue cobalt carbonate 2 grams 10 grams red iron oxide 3 grams 15 grams Yellow Gold rutile 5 grams 25 grams Red Iron red iron 20 grams 100 grams Blue Green red iron 2 grams 10 grams cobalt carbonate 0.5 gram 2.5 grams copper carbonate 0.5 gram 2.5 grams Black Mason stain #6600 7 grams 35 grams