How to Make a Handmade Martini Glass

One of the biggest reasons I am a potter is that I love to make things that people use and get pleasure from in their everyday lives. From sipping coffee from wheel thrown mugs, to toasting with a ceramic whiskey cup, experiences such as these are enhanced with handmade objects. So why stop with the typical vessels like mugs and cups? How about a handmade martini glass to make an already enjoyable beverage that much more special?

Well, in today’s post, Jess Palmer explains how to do just that. In this excerpt from the Pottery Making Illustrated archive, Jess shows you how she creates her beautiful handmade martini glasses.

PS. Click here to see how Jess approaches the surfaces of her martini glasses.

Handmade Martini Glass – Creating the Form

To create a well-balanced cup that isn’t top-heavy and resists tipping, use the idea of a fulcrum, leaving most of the weight in the center section of the cup where the vessel and stem meet. Making the rim of the cup slightly thinner to reduce weight at the top and keeping the base slightly thicker at the foot give it stability. In addition, I use a short-stem design to keep a low center of gravity.

Nobody wants a teeny martini! To create a properly scaled and generously sized cup (10 oz. after the glaze firing), I use two chopsticks (see 1) secured together in a T shape (electrical tape works well) that are cut to the dimensions I need based on my clay’s shrinkage rate. You can use this tool to gauge both the depth (33/4 in.) and diameter (4½ in.) while throwing. The stem is approximately ¾ the height and ½ the diameter of the cup. Proportionally speaking, the stem height is a little less important than the width at the base. The width needs to be adequate to support the widening V shape so the cup is sturdy and won’t tip.

I work with the classic V shape for the martini cup, which was developed for a few reasons. Since no ice is put in a martini glass, the stemmed design keeps your hands away from the body of the glass, so that the liquid stays chilled longer. The wide rim helps to let the spirit open up (this is more true of gin). And, the steep walls prevent liquids from separating.

Throwing and Trimming the Handmade Martini Glass

Center approximately 1 pound of clay and open a very narrow, rounded bottom. Gradually throw the wall outward and upward, into a classic martini V shape. Use your chopstick T to check your progress for depth and width (4×4½ inches for my clay body) (1). Once you’re satisfied with the form, refine and compress the wall between two ribs (2). Make sure to smooth away all throwing lines from the inside and outside, and thin and refine your rim. Once your cup form is complete, set it aside for trimming later.

Then, using about 3–4 pounds of clay, throw the stem off the hump. I like an open-bottomed stem to allow for cut feet. The cutouts bring lightness and a detail that continues the surface pattern through the use of negative space. Begin by throwing a bottle-shaped form (23/4 inches in height × 21/2 inches in diameter) with a floor (this will be cut off later), making sure to note where the base begins. These are not trimmed, so throw the walls to the desired thickness and bring up enough clay to create a collar that will be able to hold and accept the cup. Using your metal rib, create and refine the collar (3), taking care to create the proper angle. Using your wire tool or a needle tool, first cut at the base of the stem, then cut below that, between the clay and the wheel head, or if throwing off the hump, cut at least 1/4 inch below the base of the stem to create a pad or disc of clay underneath the stem to help lift it off the hump without distorting it. Set aside until
it’s leather hard and then peel off the excess clay pad.

Next, trim away the excess clay on the outside of the cup. I place the cup rim side down on the wheel head and tap it on center. I use only a thin film of water and gentle pressure for suction to secure the pot to the wheel head. Lugs of clay would mar the surface and potentially warp the form. Keeping in mind the fulcrum effect, I leave a little extra weight at the bottom of the cup, where it comes to a point. Use a rubber rib to smooth and compress the tip of the cone and the walls (4).

Assembling the Handmade Martini Glass

My love of Art Deco design and architecture is ingrained in my background as a former art and creative director in New York City. I have had the privilege of working in some of the most famous Art Deco buildings in the world. While these places are a large part of my inspiration, I’m not using literal motifs from that period, but instead letting my mind form patterns and designs based on fragments and details of these locations from my memory.

Attach the cup to the collar of the stem by slipping and scoring. I like to check in two directions that the connections are being made evenly and the cup is level (5). This connection point is the perfect place to add a small detail and to ensure the parts are well connected. Using a dragon-scale tool (designed for texturing clay with scale patterns), I stamp marks in 4 equidistant places around the collar (6). Once the two sections are connected, I handle the martini cup at the base of the cup form, right above the joint. Handle the cup gently at this point to avoid warping or stressing the seam between the cup and base.