Horsehair pottery is a relatively new process of white stoneware bisque firing, discovered accidentally in the late 1980s when a potter bent over to remove some hot ware from her kiln and had her own hair fall against it, leaving a scorched mark of burned carbon and smoke on the clay surface.
The effect of this serendipitous event led the potter into months of experimentation with other organic materials such as straw, pine needles, feathers, and finally, hair from the tail of a horse.
Fine lines are created with the hair from the mane of a horse and thick lines are created from the hair of the tail. The heat melts the hair slightly, causing it to coil and then melt into the surface of the pottery.
As the ash forms, a small deposit of carbon and smoke is absorbed into the clay surface, leaving a permanent trace of the horsehair. When the ashes are washed away and he piece is completely dry, it is usually polished with a paste wax or sprayed with an aerosol furniture polish to give it a soft satin finish and lasting luster.