Herodian Era "Flower" Pot
![pot 0.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F9F/H219/KN617KIF/F9FH219KN617KIF.png&filename=pot 0.png)
For this project, I wanted to create a pot that resembles ancient terracotta, it took a while but I'm happy with the end result. Though these pots were used for cooking, I think that they would look amazing in a garden or front lawn.
For inspiration I looked at some pots from the Herodian Era (37 BC to 70 AD) in Jerusalem. All pots from that era took a roundish shape with usually 2 handles.
Skeleton
![pot 2B.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FUP/4AAJ/KMXGKCLM/FUP4AAJKMXGKCLM.png&filename=pot 2B.png)
![pot 2A.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F8C/0TMY/KMXGKCLL/F8C0TMYKMXGKCLL.png&filename=pot 2A.png)
The first this I did was create the skeleton of how I want the pot to look. This was simple, as I just used 9 regular polygons (about 20-30 sides each) and lines. Just by looking at it on an angle, you can already see the pot's shape forming.
Filling in the Frame
![pot 1.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FJM/9FDP/KMXGK3TH/FJM9FDPKMXGK3TH.png&filename=pot 1.png)
![pot 3.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FG7/0OTV/KMXGKCU3/FG70OTVKMXGKCU3.png&filename=pot 3.png)
The second thing I did was to fill in the skeleton with shapes so I could get a basic pot. After tweaking the size of the polygons and adding a few extra as well, it was starting to look like how I imagined it.
Then I painted the whole thing white and hid most of the lines. Now My plan is to add the handles
Handles
![pot 4A.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FAX/930L/KMXGKMGB/FAX930LKMXGKMGB.png&filename=pot 4A.png)
![pot 4B.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FZW/HA8U/KMXGKMGC/FZWHA8UKMXGKMGC.png&filename=pot 4B.png)
![pot 4C.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F95/G388/KMYW0241/F95G388KMYW0241.png&filename=pot 4C.png)
![pot 4D.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F78/9DLI/KMYW024R/F789DLIKMYW024R.png&filename=pot 4D.png)
This were probably the most hardest part. Making the shape of the handles was a test of trial and error. Eventually I got a shape I liked. To make the handles 3D and more circular I added more sections to the handle skeletons. This helped make the pot more realistic. Then I filled the handles with shapes and hid some of the lines. The handles look really tiny, but that's the size of the handles in the Herodian Era.
Hollowing Out the Pot
![pot 5A.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F1Y/OCNG/KMYW04AS/F1YOCNGKMYW04AS.png&filename=pot 5A.png)
![pot 5B.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F90/K04P/KMYW08EN/F90K04PKMYW08EN.png&filename=pot 5B.png)
![pot 5C.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FF8/ACVK/KMYW08HL/FF8ACVKKMYW08HL.png&filename=pot 5C.png)
At this stage, we can't really call it a pot, its fully solid. So to make this into an actual pot we will essentially do the same thing we did in step 1, we will make a skeleton in the inside, and fill it with shapes. This was moderately hard but not too difficult, just time consuming.
Refining Look, and Taking Out Lines
![pot 6A.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F2U/ZEK7/KMYW0BUK/F2UZEK7KMYW0BUK.png&filename=pot 6A.png)
Now I'm going to start taking out the lines, and refining the details a bit. This will make is look better and more realistic. At the same time, I'm also going to smoothen the surface, to make it look like an actual pot, and not a poly one. It doesn't show much in picture though but now the pot is smooth. Not as smooth as I would like to have it, but it's good enough.
Tiny Details
![pot 7A.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FJM/5ED4/KMYW0C63/FJM5ED4KMYW0C63.png&filename=pot 7A.png)
![pot 7B.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FSL/ATA1/KN1QWI2P/FSLATA1KN1QWI2P.png&filename=pot 7B.png)
![pot 7C.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F7N/V2ZB/KN1QWIAK/F7NV2ZBKN1QWIAK.png&filename=pot 7C.png)
![pot 7D.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FDT/2IYI/KN1QWLUY/FDT2IYIKN1QWLUY.png&filename=pot 7D.png)
To give it that "old" look, I decided to add some cracks and chips here and there. They aren't that noticeable but still look really nice
Adding Color
![pot 8A.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FRE/OFPX/KN1QWREY/FREOFPXKN1QWREY.png&filename=pot 8A.png)
![pot 8B.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F76/HKB6/KN1QWRVP/F76HKB6KN1QWRVP.png&filename=pot 8B.png)
For this pot I wanted it to have a faded brown color to give it a pottery feel to it. I used a light shade of beige for this pot.
Material and Pot Features
![pot 9A.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FTE/RRRD/KN1QWUUX/FTERRRDKN1QWUUX.png&filename=pot 9A.png)
I wanted this pot to be made of terracotta, as they are porous and absorb any excess water that might cause the roots to rot.
I also added a hole at the bottom of the pot to drain excess water and to further prevent root rot. There are 4 holes in total with each one being 1/4 inches in diameter as recommended by Purdue University.
Final Piece and Specifications
![pot 10A.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F6F/Y38Z/KN1QWV1X/F6FY38ZKN1QWV1X.png&filename=pot 10A.png)
![pot 10B.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FE8/2ZJV/KN1QWV3N/FE82ZJVKN1QWV3N.png&filename=pot 10B.png)
![pot 10C.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FWZ/GNOL/KN1QWV3O/FWZGNOLKN1QWV3O.png&filename=pot 10C.png)
![pot 10D.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F3H/FZMI/KN1QWV3P/F3HFZMIKN1QWV3P.png&filename=pot 10D.png)
![pot 10E.png](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F5C/AIBW/KN1QWV3Q/F5CAIBWKN1QWV3Q.png&filename=pot 10E.png)
The end piece in my opinion looks good. This is my second 3d model I have made and I still need a lot of work and practice to do.
The rough dimensions of this piece will be about 12 inches by 12 inches by 13.125 inches.
*Note* I used meters in my project, so to get the inches measurement I scaled the project 1:63, with translates to 0.40 meters to 0.25 inches.
Thanks for looking at this project, tell me how I can improve too. I'll also put the model file, if anyone wants to download it or 3d print it. :)
bye.