The pit is alight - now we wait to make sure the whole is well alight, then cover it with sheets of currugated iron to reduce the air available for combustion. The flames die down and the smoke indicates the atmosphere in the pit is now reducing.

The pit will smoulder vigorously for a few hours, then gradually die down. It will be 24 hours later before it is cool enough to withdraw the pots.

Polished, unglazed bottle with smoke patterns created in the pit firing.

Pots being laid in a fire pit ready for firing in Manakau. The pit is lined with coarse sawdust, with the pots laid on top. Copper sulphate, salt and other experimental ingredients are sprinkled around, on the sawdust, not touching the pots. Then a fire is built over the top: crumpled newspaper, small twigs and kindling, then larger pieces of wood, right up to ground level (about 650mm from the bottom of the pit).

Levin Pottery Club is a club which operates from a studio in the grounds of Thompson House, 4 Kent Street, Levin.