Every measure fits into the form
Every measure of the design fits into the form with nothing left over. That is how he taught in Moscow, that is how he does it in Lima.
Φ 1,618
Φ 1.618 — the measure I repeat in every cup.
Four measures. One after another.
The cup sits in the hand: the handle, the band and the height in one single measure.
Chapter 1 · The spiral
The golden spiral
Pineapple, sunflower, temples: the same spiral. Nature and people build with this proportion.
Tap an image: the spiral lights up.
Chapter 2 · Fit the pattern
Move the band
Move the band. When everything fits with nothing left over, the cup is ready.
Chapter 3 · The calculation
How the master counts a piece
- Height and rim: one proportion
- The handle and the foot: they fit inside it
- The pattern band: it fits with nothing left over
- The repeated pattern: it divides with nothing left over
⟦height⟧ ⟦diameter⟧ ⟦band⟧
It is a difficult calculation: that is why few people do it.
Chapter 4 · The rule
Three measures, one form
"Any measure of any detail must fit into the measures of the main form with nothing left over": the golden section, Fibonacci numbers. With the right proportions, the form comes close to the ideal.
It is the master's rule, not a law of nature.
Chapter 5 · Water
Water, in the master's words
"I believe a vessel with harmonious measures gives structure to what it holds. If you pour water into it, I believe it falls into order. We are, in large part, water; that is why it matters to me what you drink it from."
In my experience, proportion is noticed in the hand before the head.
It is my conviction as a ceramist, not a promise.
Chapter 6 · The chakana
The chakana gathers
The master says this symbol gathers and structures what is around it.
Chapter 7 · From the workshop
Learn proportion with the master
