The Potter’s Nod

“Potter’s nod” is the small, instinctive head movement that often shows up at the wheel. Sometimes it is subtle, sometimes pronounced. You can see it in Bernard Leach’s demonstration here, or notice it clearly when I am throwing.

To most people it looks like a strange habit. Potters often do it without realizing. For a long time I thought it helped me track unevenness as the clay cylinder turned, but I could not explain why it worked or what was happening underneath.

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