Bowl Design Dos and Don’ts

Bowl design is an article I have always wanted to write but never quite had the courage — until now. In part, that’s because the form a vessel takes is a subject of much debate: “To each his own, said the old lady as she kissed her cow.” On top of this, popular taste is constantly changing; a design that is all the rage today can be passé next year. All this being said, great design ends up in museums while ugly work fails to sell at a tag sale and is left by the road. Every bowl is certainly not a masterpiece.

My purpose here is not to try to convince you that any given design is what you should adopt but to talk about general shapes and styles to work toward. In the long run, each turner should find a unique design repertoire. By all means, visit museums,