The clay is mixed with water, and kneaded until a paste with a workable consistency is obtained.

The clay is placed in 3 molds, necessary to make a 3-piece clay bottle. Plaster molds are used for pressure casting, and the molds must be opened at precisely the right moment, otherwise the pieces will shatter if left in the molds too long. Weather also plays a role, as rain or humidity will slow the process. After molding, each piece is immediately moved to a space suitable for drying.

Each piece is fired in a brick and ceramic fiber kiln at a temperature of 1562°F. After firing, each piece is carved with a diamond blade saw (used for fine cuts). Once fired and cut, the pieces have taken the shape of armor plates of about 2.5 mm.

Each glass bottle is paired with an armor plate, and they are bound together with stucco (a paste of lime and sand, initially soft and malleable which gradually hardens. Stucco was used by the Maya and Aztecs.) Once assembled, you now have a clay bottle, which is sanded by hand, and every part of the bottle is hand detailed. The master craftsman uses his sense of touch, smoothing out the surface’s many peaks and valleys as he applies the finishing touches.

Finally, a base coat of acrylic paint is applied to the clay bottle as the final step of the process. It takes about 7 days to make a single clay bottle. The maximum production during these 7 days is 10 bottles. The clay bottle weighs 5.97 lbs.

“Creating this bottle has been a challenge. Numerous tests had to be carried out, as the glass bottle’s sides are not uniform, the production is artisanal and the clay has a natural contraction of 10% to 12%.” –Carlos Bustos