The potter's rib is a wooden clay working tool. It is usually used for forming pots on a spinning wheel. It comes in a variety of shapes and the most common potter's rib (pictured above) is usually shaped like a shark's tooth, with a two straight edges and one curved edge. The reasoning behind the form is that it is intended to be able to surface various shapes and profiles from cups to vases.

When we started this exploration we had our own expectations about the tool and we soon figured out that we were a bit ambitious. We wanted to create 'interesting' forms but the potter's rib is not a forming tool. On top of that, we also realized that in order to get some sort of 'form' from the tool, we had to remove a good amount of clay. We realized that we needed a new strategy. After brainstorming a bit, and making a few clay hamburgers and bricks, we were hooked on the idea of making forms that express the unique shape of the potter's rib. We began to go against some of the preconceived uses of the tool and we agreed that in order to express the form of this tool, we would need to scrape away clad from a base and create an undulating surface.