How to Throw a Lidded Jar: Galleries, Flanges and a Lid That Fits

A lid that rocks, sticks or falls in can ruin a nice jar. The fix is not magic. It is measurement, and a simple design decision made before you throw.

This guide walks through the two easiest lid styles and how to get a fit that works.

Choose a lid style

The drop lid sits inside the jar's opening and rests on a ledge. It is the simplest to throw and works for many jars. Our lesson on the drop lid shows it step by step.

The gallery lid sits on a small shelf, called a gallery, formed at the top of the jar. The lid has a flange that fits down into the gallery. It looks more traditional and gives a more secure fit.

For a first lidded jar, start with a drop lid or a gallery lid with a generous fit.

Throw the jar

Throw a cylinder or soft-bellied form, then collar the top to narrow it slightly. This is where the lid sits. Keep the wall thick enough at the top to form the gallery without collapsing, and compress the rim well. Review consistent cylinders if your walls are uneven.

Form the gallery by pressing a ledge into the inside of the rim, wide enough to hold the lid's edge. A rib helps keep the shelf level.

Measure, don't guess

Use calipers to measure the opening where the lid will sit. Write the number down immediately, with the unit. Calipers are the difference between a lid that fits and one that does not, which is why we have an exercise for measuring a lid gallery.

Throw the lid to the measurement, leaving a gap of about 1 to 2 mm for glaze and for any movement as the pots dry. Throw the lid from the same batch of clay so it shrinks at the same rate as the jar. If you want to understand shrinkage better, see pottery clay shrinkage and the shrinkage calculator.

Fit at leather hard

Test the fit when both pieces are leather hard. A lid that is slightly snug now will usually be fine after glazing. A lid that is already loose will be loose later.

Fix problems early:

• Too tight: shave the flange with a rib or trimming tool.
• Too loose: make a new lid. Adding clay to a leather-hard lid rarely works.

Add a knob

Attach a knob or handle at the leather-hard stage. Score and slip as you would for a mug handle, and keep it large enough to grip with wet or glazed hands.

Dry together

Dry the lid on the jar, with a thin paper or plastic sheet between them if the fit is tight. They dry and shrink together and stay matched. If you separate them, mark them with a small number on the bottom so the pair is not mixed up.

Glaze and fire

Wipe the glaze off the surfaces where the lid and jar touch. If both surfaces are glazed, they will fuse in the kiln. Many potters fire the lid on the jar so it stays flat and fits, with those contact points left bare or lightly waxed.

Make a set

For a canister set, throw three jars with interchangeable lids. Keep the gallery measurement the same on all of them. The three jars exercise is a good test.

Keep all your measurements in a project log. Next time, you can repeat the jar and lid with confidence.