Starting with a golfball-sized piece of clay, I made a thumbpot - the easiest kind of small pot to make - the trick being to work it gradually into shape, rather than plunging your thumb right in and trying to force it.

Next, the pot is pinched at one side, to form a handle - not all ancient oil lamps had one of these - they were typically small enough to be simply held in the hand.

Then the pot is drawn out and pinched at the other side to form a crude spout. A disc of clay is formed for the lid.

A hole is made in the lid - this is where the oil will be poured in when the lamp is finished and fired.

The lid is joined to the top rim of the lamp body and blended in by smoothing over with a finger - as with the pot, the join here is not a superficial layer of smoothed-over clay, but a pressing together of the two pieces.

Finally, with the lid blended in all around, the wick spout is built up a little further and the whole thing smoothed as neatly as possible without crushing it.

The piece will be allowed to dry slowly in an unheated cool room - ready for firing.