Animal Effigy Bowl

For this project, students experimented with clay and made an animal effigy bowl.

Before starting the project, students learned about different ancient cultures that made animal effigies. An animal effigy is an object that is made to look like an animal. The art in these ancient cultures was not only interesting to look at, but also functional. Ancient cultures in South America used their animal effigies for spiritual purposes and had a deep connection to nature and the animals that lived in their area.

Students could make their clay effigy look like any animal they wanted. They used Sculpey clay to make their effigy pot. They learned how to make a pinch pot out of clay, how to sculpt clay in different ways, and how to add texture to clay. They also learned about different properties of clay and important processes you need to do in order to have a successful clay sculpture. After they made the pinch pot, and added details to look like an animal, they painted their bowls with acrylic paint. I then baked them in my oven, and the clay hardened.