German designer Kaja Woelky hatched a porcelain production method which drew from chickens for its eggspiration. Sorry about the dumb jokes; puns are like a siren call for anyone who worked at a daily newspaper.
Domusweb has the story. Woelky studied the layered growth process of an egg shell, and realized she could do something similar with porcelain. The process is described thusly:
“Similar to organic egg growth, where calcium attaches itself to the egg membrane, the porcelain slip (diluted clay that is strained to a smooth consistency) is wrapped around a device that will serve as the framework of each creation. Referred to as “pneu”, the machine is surrounded by a rubbery ingredient named “alginate”. This substance, normally found in seaweed, draws the moisture from the porcelain slip, allowing the adhesion of the minerals on the pneu. As with organic egg production, this grants the replication of multiple thin sheets by the rotating movement of the mechanism.”
The process looks a little elaborate, but in addition to creating layered structures, it’s able to produce some interesting tactile effects. According to the description Woelky is able to place grains or seeds between the layers which, after the firing process, leave a porous surface on the inside and a haptic surface on the outer layers.
Above images: Kaja Woelky’s egg-inspired porcelain production method.
This would have been more valuable if some finished work was shown. But congrats to whoever built the nicely detailed machinery.