Ceramic Bard Horn (Flute?) Sculpture
This is a functional sculpture I have made of clay resembling Bard's Horn, (or is it a flute?)
It took me pretty much the whole school year working on it, on and off.
To make the front end I made two pinch pots, one slightly larger than the other and slip/scored them together, the smaller one slightly inset into the larger. The main middle section I made with a slab rolled around and slip/scored the ends together. I created a thick ring to connect the middle piece to the front piece (I am not familiar with instrument anatomy, in addition to this being a sculpture based off a fictional instrument so I am not sure what terms should be used for the different parts, maybe someone can make suggestions?) The parts from the middle to the mouth piece were probably the hardest, because they were smaller and had a lot of unique curves to them. I created thin short slabs that I slip/scored the edges together to make the gold ring and 1st section of gray pipe and purple pipe collar. The long gray pipe I created by molding clay around a thin curved wooden utensil, and widening out the base. And I used a similar technique using the same a thin curved wooden utensil at a different length to create the Mouth piece. The I slip/scored all the pipe pieces together, with the gray pieces slightly inset under the wider pipe collar. The green orbs I created, just rolling them in my hands.
While the middle, and front pieces were in their leather-hard phases I used wooden utensils to carve the designs in, and to grind the holes in. I made each hole a different size.
Then I had everything fired. Once it was out of the kiln I started glazing.
I used Amber for the gold sections Emerald Green (I think?) for the green sections. Brown water color underglaze with a thin layer of Clear glaze on top, for the middle section Gray for the end pipes and mouth piece And what I thought was going to turn Maroon for the pipe collar turned purple for some reason (Call it creative License :D)
The Mouth piece broke off in the kiln in the second firing so I had it super glued back on along with the green orbs. (Be careful where u paint ur glaze on so it won't get stuck to the kiln!)
It was a lot of hard work but I like the way it turned out looking. Its pretty
Its functional too! It works similar to an Ocarina which can also be made out of clay (I think). Blowing into it certain ways can produce what can pass for music... If u like things that sound like dying whales maybe. Unfortunately its not magic so there won't be any floating orbs or deep bass...next time.
I really want to thank Riot and their champion and Art designers for always coming up with such amazing and beautiful ideas. They are all so unique and creative and inspiring. There is a little something for everyone. I really enjoy Bards design and the way all his themes of wandering caretaker, cosmic entity and bard all come together in a aesthetic image with all his little trinkets, and symbols and whorling lines that making up his image. Its beautiful in a way I can;t describe. It just feels right, it was all well done. And of course you can tell I really enjoyed the horn, that piece of him is a real work of art, it is very beautiful I hope that I was able to do it justice.
And there you have it Bards Horn! I hope u like it!
Update!! Ive figure out how to make the deepest sound I can currently make on the Bard Horn, it sounds a bit like a didgeridoo. If you guys really want and if there's a way to upload sound file I could do it. Anyways any suggestions on how to play it would be appreciated!
