Guillemot Eggs

Earlier this year I started a project to find out more about the Guillemot egg. Following a chance conversation with a customer I became interested in the unique shape and colourings of this egg.

Guillemots lay their eggs on rocky ledges, not in nests. Until recently the theory was that the comical shape of the egg allowed it to roll in an arc and therefore not fall off the ledge…Tim Birkhead challenges this in his fascinating book ‘The Most Perfect Thing’. Photographs of the eggs showed marking very similar to those on my horsehair and Saggar fired pots.

Just days before lockdown started, I visited the National Museum of Scotland Collection Centre in Edinburgh where I had the opportunity to see these eggs up close. They have hundreds in their collection and I was fortunate enough to be allowed to handle some. Each egg has a blow hole and many are inscribed with the collector’s name, location found and date.

After the visit I set about making my first egg. Some previous eggs I’d made were pinched and coiled but the shape of the guillemot egg seemed perfect for making on the wheel. I made a few then selected my favourite and made a plaster mould of it. I could now create multiple versions of the egg from my mould.

The clay eggs are burnished with a silver spoon several times over a few days until the surface is smooth and shines. Sometimes I add a layer of coloured terra sigillata to stain the egg and add a smoother finish.

The first eggs I fired were decorated with horsehair and feathers. They were really tricky to control once they came out of the raku kiln - something about that shape just wants to roll!

I made a series of Saggar fired eggs which I’ve had interesting results with.

For the bases, or plinths, I decided to carve out a solid piece of clay using the Kurinuki technique. As I’ve progressed the plinths have become larger and more expressive. I smokefire these and they are starting to really resemble pieces of rock, which was always my intention.

Eggs are now available to purchase, see below. I can also create the eggs to commission - contact me for details.

Horsehair and Feather Fired Gullemot Egg