Rules
Part of Independent ceramic studios companies: a way to assess work
How to prepare pottery for display: labels, handling, finishing and photos
How an independent ceramic studio prepares pots for display: finish feet and rims, label and document pieces, pack them safely, set them up, and photograph batches consistently.
For independent ceramic studios, preparing work for display comes down to five jobs: finish each piece, label and document it, pack it, set it up, and photograph it. The finishing and handling details are the half beginners skip.
What to take away
- Finish the foot and rim before anything elsesand the foot flat and check the rim under raking light.
- Identify every piece. A label carries your name, title, date, medium and dimensions, and a nested set needs every piece numbered and a drawing of the arrangement.
- Pack each piece separately, with lids and parts apart, and set it on a stable base.
- Say whether functional ware is food safe. If you have not tested it, call it decorative.
- Shoot the whole batch in one lighting setup so the set matches.
Finish before you label
| Fix | Why |
|---|---|
| Sand or grind the foot flat | A rocking pot photographs crooked and scratches a shelf |
| Wipe off kiln wash and dust | Both show as gray haze at close range |
| Check the rim under raking light | Chips are invisible in even light and obvious in a photo |
| Decide the front | Round pots have one, and the label should match it |
Grinding a foot flat takes two minutes on a diamond pad and fixes a problem that shows in every photograph and every use. A chipped rim that is invisible on a shelf becomes the first thing a viewer sees at close range.
What to put on the work
Each piece needs a way to tell it apart from its neighbors. At minimum record your name, the title, the date, the medium and the dimensions. Height and widest diameter in inches suit a pot, and volume in ounces suits a drinking vessel.
Be careful where the label goes. Adhesive can leave residue on bare, porous clay, and tape can lift on a rough glaze. A paper hang tag, a card under the piece, or a label on a smooth glazed base that you can peel cleanly are safer than sticking anything to the body. Test a spot first.
A nested set is the part people get wrong. Number every piece, mark which way up each lid sits, and include a drawing showing how the parts go together. Say in writing whether the pieces are meant to be shown as a group. Keep a copy of the label text with the photographs of each piece.
Writing the wall label
For a wall label, enter the name, title and medium exactly as they should be printed. Ask each venue for its label rules, because they vary, and follow them. Most venues expect one label per object, and many want prices on a separate list instead of on the label.
Wall label rules
- Name, title, medium exactly as printed
- Medium field in all lower case
- One label per object
- No custom labels, no prices
- Label submission is final
For ceramics the medium line is where honesty matters. Stoneware, cone 6, wood ash glaze says something. Ceramic says nothing. For a mug, give the body, the firing and the surface: for example, wheel-thrown stoneware, cone 6, matte white glaze.
For functional ware, add one line on use. State whether the glaze is food safe and what that claim rests on. If you have not tested it, label the piece decorative. Buyers ask it often, and a vague answer costs sales.
Packing and moving work to a venue
Pots break in transit and in unpacking, so plan both. The studio failures that handling causes are the ones a careful pack prevents.
- Wrap each piece alone in tissue, then in bubble wrap or foam, with extra padding on handles, spouts and rims.
- Pack lids and removable parts separately, and tape a numbered tag to each so they find their pot.
- Use a sturdy box with dividers or tightly packed padding, so pieces cannot touch.
- Label the box with the piece numbers inside, so the venue can check the count on arrival.
Assume the person unpacking has never seen the work assembled, and put the drawing of any nested arrangement in the top of the box.
Setting up the display
A pot needs a stable, level base and enough light to read the surface. Choose the setup for the piece rather than the other way around.
- Plinths and shelves:give height variation, so a group does not sit in one flat line.
- Risers:lift small pieces so they are not lost behind larger ones.
- Wall plate hangers or stands:hold plates and platters upright. Choose hangers rated for the piece's weight.
- Museum putty or a small non-slip pad:keeps a piece from sliding on a shelf. Test on your own surface first.
- Lighting:use soft light from the side. Glare on glaze hides the form, and raking light shows texture.
Check from the viewer's height before you leave. A piece that looks fine on a table can sit awkwardly on a plinth.
Then shoot the set together
Photograph a whole batch in one lighting setup so the pieces read as one body of work. A phone camera is enough if the light and background are controlled.
Backdrop. Use a plain, seamless sheet of paper or fabric in white, light gray or a mid-tone that contrasts with the glaze. Curve it up behind the pot so no horizon line shows. Wrinkles and patterns pull the eye from the form.
Light. Soft window light from one side is the cheapest setup. Place a white card or foam board on the shadow side to lift the dark half. Avoid on-camera flash, because it flattens form and bounces glare off glaze. If you use lamps, diffuse them and keep every piece under the same ones.
Camera position. Mount the camera on a tripod or a stack of books, level with the middle of the pot, and shoot square-on. Shooting from above makes a tall piece look squat and distorts the rim.
Angles. For every piece take a front view, a side view, the back, a close detail of rim or glaze, and the base. Add one shot with a hand or ruler for scale.
Consistency. Put a gray card in the first frame of each session so you can match white balance later. Keep the same distance, background and framing for each piece. Save the base shots with your studio records, and store finished work safely until show day, as storing fired work explains.
Common questions
Do I need to state dimensions?
Yes. Height and widest diameter in inches, and volume in ounces for drinking vessels, which buyers need to judge size and use.
Should the price go on the piece?
Usually not. Many venues want prices on a separate list, so ask the venue first. A sticker on a pot is also hard to remove cleanly.
How do I label a nested set?
Number every piece, mark the orientation, and include a small drawing of the intended arrangement. Assume the person unpacking it has never seen it assembled.
