乐播传媒

For most of us, a bat sleeps upside down in caves or attics. Or, a bat hits home runs.

For Susan Dewsnap, a lecturer in art and visual culture, bats help ceramics like bowls or plates keep their shape.

鈥淭he term derives from 鈥榖atten,鈥� as in, 鈥榯o batten down the hatches鈥� or hold something secure,鈥� Dewsnap, who has exhibited her ceramics in the U.S. and internationally, says.

Bats are flat objects, usually circular, made of wood, plaster, or plastic. They can be attached to a pottery wheel, and ceramics are created, or thrown, on top of them.

鈥淏ats enable a potter to throw a form on the pottery wheel, and when completed, to remove the pot, while still attached to the bat, without touching the wet work,鈥� Dewsnap says.

The bat is essentially a support, good for creating wide, shallow pieces like plates, which could be deformed if a potter tried to pick them up with her hands. By lifting the piece by the bat, the potter keeps the piece pristine.

Bats are also useful for making larger pieces, Dewsnap says.

鈥淲hen making large round jars, I will actually use two bats: one to throw the bottom half of the pot and one to throw the top half,鈥� she says. 鈥淎fter allowing the two sections to set up, the top half, still secured to the bat, is flipped upside down and attached to the bottom half, resulting in a larger form, which is then returned to the wheel, still attached to the bottom bat, for further shaping.鈥�