Can you tell me about the clay's origin or type used in this ceramic craft sculpture?

Oh, I’m so glad you asked about the clay! It’s one of my favorite parts of this sculpture’s story. The clay used here is a locally sourced earthenware—specifically, a iron-rich terracotta clay that I personally dug from a small riverbank deposit about 30 miles from my studio. This particular clay has been used by potters in my region for generations; its warm, rusty hue comes from high iron oxide content, which gives the fired piece that deep, earthy red-brown color.

I didn’t refine it much—just wedged it by hand to remove air bubbles and large grit. Why? Because I wanted to keep the natural texture and a bit of the wildness. After shaping, I let it dry slowly under cloth to prevent cracking, then bisque-fired it at around 1800°F to harden it. The final glaze? Just a transparent matt finish, so the clay’s own character remains visible.

So in short: it’s a raw, local river clay, dug by hand, untouched by industrial processing. That’s the soul of this sculpture—each grain tells a story of the earth it came from.