Face Pots

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I came across the folk art of “face jugs” or “face pots” when in North Carolina. The Carolina’s are where this art form initially developed in America, since face jugs were first created by enslaved African-American potters working in Carolina pottery districts. The pots were believed to scare off evil spirits and thus the faces sculpted on them were typically very exaggerated or even frightening.

I love this project because students get to practice all of the main pottery techniques—they roll a slab for a base, roll coils for the pot, and pinch and sculpt the facial features. Whenever I only have time for one clay assignment I tend to go for this one, for that reason.

Students learn about the history of face pots, and then create their own design. I’ve had students create all kinds of facial expressions and characters (pirate, ballerina, etc) which makes the sculptures come alive.

These projects can be as large or small as you have room & time for, which is another reason that it works so well in my classes. I have had years where we made them 10 inches tall, and others where they are “mini face jugs” and both look fantastic.

Check out the examples below and access the full lesson to try it out yourself!