This piece 18 oz and is wheel-thrown from my own mixture of porcelain and stoneware. I alter the form of the pot while it is still wet, immediately after being thrown. After some drying time, it is trimmed up and surface texture can be added by carving or adding dots of slip. I really think people engage items that have texture as it makes the experience more explorative. 

After trimming comes the sculpting— I use clays colored with ceramic pigments for the colored area in the sculpting. After that, and at least 3 to 4 days of controlled drying, it time to bisque fire. This changes the clays into ceramics and makes them more durable to handle before glazing. I bisque to 1869℉; at this temperature the ceramic is still very porous and allows glaze to adhere to the surface. A day or two later, the kiln is cooled and the bisque ceramics are ready for a clear glaze (firing up to 2232℉), which seals the surface, making it water tight and easy to clean. 

One to two days later,  the kiln has cooled again and the pot is cleaned with alcohol. Gold accents and mother of pearl are then applied before firing the pot one more time at 1900℉. At this temperature,  the 18k gold melts and sticks to the surface to show the lustrous reflective tones only precious metals can give.