throwing

In ceramics, the operation of shaping clay on a potter's wheel, a revolving head (disc) onto which a lump of wet clay is ‘thrown’ and then shaped manually. The potter's wheel was invented by the ancient Egyptians in about 5000 BC. Its simplest form is the kickwheel, propelled by the potter using a crank or treadle to keep the turntable spinning. Modern wheels are powered by electricity, so the speed of the turntable can be controlled electronically rather than manually.

Although potters still ‘throw’ clay in the traditional way today, the process is not used much commercially; it is much cheaper and quicker to produce ceramic ware by slip-casting rather than throwing.