The introduction to a popular and under-published aspect of ceramics. For centuries, clay has been used not only to make vessels but also to create sculptures. For beginning clayworkers and for experienced potters who can't stand to make one more mug, here's a guide to sculpting figurative and nonfigurative forms in clay. Step-by-step color photos and easy-to-follow instructions explain how to make seven sculptures: a resting cat, a whimsical fish, a colorful bird in a tree pedestal, a mythological bird-human creature, an abstract head, a standing figure, and a relief wall piece. Learn how to handbuild hollow sculptures using slab, pinch, and coil. Discover which types of clay, firing techniques, and surface treatments work best with sculpture.For inspiration, there's a glorious color gallery of some of the best contemporary ceramic sculpture available today. oA hot new topic in ceramicsoAppealing projectsoHundreds of gallery photos