How to Craft Stunning Oriental Style Ceramic Finials

Posted on August 9, 2026 by David Wilson

Outdoor finial material considerations

These fantastic oriental style ceramic finials I made for a Japanese bridge in the garden. In 2014 I made plaster pieces, but they were unsatisfactory. What material would endure outdoors for these ornaments?

Recently, after a trip to Japan, I realized that if I could make the finials using ceramics instead of another material they would basically last forever. The following photos show the process I followed to make the Japanese finial.

Description of mould Making Process

Firstly I designed the oriental style finial in CAD from which a 3D printer STL file was saved. After printing the STL file I had a 3D model from which I could make the plaster mould. The mould was made using plaster of Paris in four sections.

Once the mould was finished it was assembled and had porcelain slip poured in. After about half an hour the plaster absorbed some moisture from the slip causing it to set and shrink slightly. The remaining slip was then poured from the mould leaving a 3mm shell inside. The mould was carefully disassembled and the greenware finial was removed. This process was repeated twelve times.

After cleaning up the greenware they were bisqued in the kiln to 980 degrees. The following day, after cooling down, they were glazed with Iron Lustre, Vintage Gold and Art Deco Green. They were then fired to 1220 degrees. The finish was spectacular. They looked fantastic.

The finials were then attached to the Japanese bridge as shown in this post.

Photos of the mould making process

Here the 3D printed model of the oriental finial has been divided into four quadrants and flanges with alignment keys have been set on one quadrant.

This process was repeated for the other three quadrants.

This photo shows the completed four plaster mould sections. These will now be joined together in preparation for casting.

Here the porcelain slip has been poured into the mould. It is just slightly overfilled. After about 20 minutes the level drops slightly as the plaster absorbs the water from the slip. Just top it up a bit to get it full again.

After the slip is poured from the mould you are left with the shell of the finial inside. It shrinks slightly due to the water absorption but this makes it very easy to remove.

The process was repeated twelve times.

Here the first mould section has been removed revealing the casting of the finial. The other sections are carefully separated and the greenware finial is removed from the mould.

Here are the twelve finials awaiting cleaning up before being bisqued.

After bisque the finials are glazed prior to final firing.

After being fired to 1220 degrees the finials have come out of the kiln looking brilliant!

When the finials were cast in the mould there was a little shrinkage as the water evaporated from the slip. Again, after the bisque firing they shrank a little more. There was even more shrinkage after the final firing. Doing a rough calculation comparing the original 3D printed model to the completed ceramic finial there was about a 15% shrinkage as shown in the photo below.

*Comparison of completed finial with original*

Japanese Bridge

Posted on August 9, 2026 by David Wilson

This Japanese bridge was constructed from timber. The arch was built using the same technique as the large Japanese bridge that was built in February 2014. This bridge makes a striking decorative addition to a terraced rock garden. It blends with the Japanese/Chinese theme of the landscaping.

The primary difference with this bridge is that the bespoke finials were made from ceramics. The earlier bridge used plaster of Paris for the finials and unfortunately these deteriorated and had to be replaced with steel caps. Being exposed to the weather over several months destroyed the plaster. The new ceramic versions on this bridge will be much more tough and won’t be affected by changes in the weather over time.

Ceramic Finials

A detailed description of the manufacture of the ceramic fiinials can be found on this post. They are attached to the bridge posts using silicone sealer.

Custom Oriental Style Finials

Posted on January 25, 2014 by David Wilson

Oriental style finials on the bridge

Once the Japanese bridge had been built and installed the making of the custom oriental style finials to fit on each bridge post could begin. The post trim on decorative garden bridges (if any) are usually round wooden finials from a local hardware store. These are great for a Victorian staircase bannister but are not an exciting option for a Japanese bridge. With this in mind we decided to design our own oriental style finials that would enhance the Japanese flavour of the bridge.

A common finial shape on Japanese bridges is an onion-like sphere mounted on round bridge posts. Our bridge had square posts so the onion shape was combined with traditional Japanese roof design so it would fit to the posts. The final result compliments the Japanese style of the rest of the bridge. To keep costs to a minimum it was decided to cast the finials in plaster. Hessian was used around the edges where it was thinner to add reinforcement to the plaster. Several “drop tests” were made which proved the plaster cast to be very robust and suitable for dressing the bridge. The finials were sealed with shellac and finished in gold enamel paint. The bright gold dulled over a period of weeks to leave a nice metallic bronze finish on the finials.

The completed oriental style finials will now be fitted to the posts of the Japanese bridge.

Oriental style finial ready for making its latex mould

Completed latex mould of the finial ready for casting

The completed finial mould ready for casting

Completed plaster casts of the finials ready for sanding

Finials after sanding and sealed with shellac

Finials completed with a coat of gold enamel

* UPDATE August 2026 *

The plaster finials deteriorated after several months exposed to the weather. They were removed and metal caps put on the bridge. In 2019 a smaller bridge was made and it too had steel caps on the posts. In 2026 I decided to remake the oriental style finials using ceramics. These proved spectacular and were put onto the smaller bridge to great effect. Their manufacture can be found on this link.

Chinese Cloisonne Enamelware

Posted on August 12, 2010 by David Wilson

Example of cloisonné enamelware

The Chinese have been making Cloisonne enamelware since the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). The name comes from the French “cloison” meaning “partition” or “dividing band”. A pattern is made from wire or thin copper strips which is attached to a metal base. The resulting partitions, or cloisons, are filled with enamel and then fired in a kiln. This process is repeated until the cloisons are filled and then the surface is polished smooth. The object is then plated with gold which stops the exposed metal from tarnishing.

Beijing cloisonne enamelware factory

No trip to Beijing is complete without visiting the Beijing Enamel Factory which is the largest producer of cloisonne enamelware in China. You are taken on a fascinating guided tour of the processes involved in creating cloisonne enamelware. After being educated in the finer points of the process you are led (surprise surprise!) to the vast showroom of cloisonne enamelware which is simply breathtaking. I resisted buying but feasted on the beauty of the merchandise.

Step 1 – Making the pattern
Firstly small copper strips are cut and bent into shapes according to the particular design. These strips are then glued to the copper vase with gum. You can see the gum in the closeup photo of part of the design. After the design has been laid out flux is applied and when the vase is heated solder flows around all the joins and fastens the pattern to the vase surface.

Cutting and shaping copper strips

Glueing the copper pattern

Detail of glued copper strips

Step 2 – Applying the pigments
Next artists fill each cloison with coloured pigments according the the design. These come in a multitude of colours and shades. The vase on the right is ready for firing with its first application of enamel pigments.

Pattern after soldering

Lots of pigments for the pattern

Vase with first pigment layer

Step 3 – Firing the vase
The objects to be fired are placed in a kiln and heated until red hot. The pigments melt and are drawn into the cloisons by capillary action and meld with the metal. The left photo shows the red hot vases when removed from the kiln. When they have cooled (right) the colours of the pigments can be seen.

Glowing red hot just out of the kiln

Colours become apparent as the vase cools

Step 4- Filling the cloisons
Steps 2 and 3 are repeated several times until the cloisons have been filled with enamel.

Adding more pigment to the cloisons

Applying pigments finished

Step 5 – Polishing
The vase is held firmly in a special lathe and various grades of abrasive blocks are used to smooth the surface. Once the operator is happy with the finish the vase is removed revealing the brilliant finish.

Polishing the vase

Finished vase ready for gilding

The last step, which our guide said we couldn’t see because it was a secret process (duh?), was to gild the vase with gold to stop the exposed copper from tarnishing. Electroplating would be expensive and messy so, knowing that the Chinese are masters of mass production, I would say they use the electroless process of gold plating which simply involves immersing the object to be plated in a chemical (albeit toxic) solution for a few minutes. The gold adds the finishing touch to the completed item.

Bamboo Fence Disguise

Posted on June 15, 2010 by David Wilson

Railings made to look like bamboo

Here is example of a fence in disguise so it looks as if it was made of bamboo. The Chinese are masters of disguise and apply these skills in the most surprising and intriguing of places.

In this case it is in the suburbs of Taipei in Taiwan and it reflects how prevalent and entrenched the imagery of bamboo is to the artistic and cultural heritage of the Chinese psyche.

Bamboo Downpipe Disguise

Posted on June 15, 2010 by David Wilson

The former British consulate in the southern Taiwan city of Kaohsiung has an interesting disguise on the buildings gutter downpipes. Someone has gone to a lot of effort and time to disguise the downpipes from the roof gutters to look like bamboo. It’s a nice touch and looks so much better than plain downpipes.

Disguise as Bamboo

There are many instances in Taiwan and China where a little extra effort has gone into decorating otherwise bland everyday objects so they blend into their environment. Bamboo is a popular disguise and many examples abound once you know what to look for. More bamboo disguise can be found here.

Detailed view of downpipe

Fake bamboo downpipes

Dragon Motif

Posted on June 10, 2010 by David Wilson

Nice dragon corner motif

The dragon motif is an important image to the Chinese. In the southern Taiwan city of Kaohsiung can be found the Lotus Lake which is surrounded by many temples. In one of them, the Beiji Xuantian Shang Di Pavilion (or dark Emporer) can be found this small dragon motif on the side of a flight of stairs.

The interior of the pavilion is richly decorated and is quite a feast for the eyes.

The dragon motif in Taoism

In Taoism, the dragon motif is the symbol for the essence of the spiritual half of the cosmos. The dragon breath in the chaos of the unformed potentials of the Tao and breathes out the order of our very nature.

Modern western culture has focused almost exclusively upon the physical aspects of nature (represented by the tiger), to the degree that the dragon is merely a myth. The dragon motif also symbolises the Yang (male) power while the tiger symbolises Yin (female).

Taoist Dragon

Posted on June 10, 2010 by David Wilson

Taoist temple dragon

Taoist temples in southern China and Taiwan may often be identified by their roofs, which feature Chinese dragons and phoenix made from multi-colored ceramic tiles. They also stand for the harmony of yin and yang (with the phoenix being yin).

The photo on the right is a nice example of a Taoist dragon statue atop the Quinshan Temple in Taipei. The Taoist temples are very colourful and over the top with their decoration and the Taoist dragon motif is ubiquitous.

Power of the Taoist dragon

The Tao literally means “the way” and can be roughly stated to be the flow of the universe, or the force behind the natural order, equating it with the influence that keeps the universe balanced and ordered.

The Taoist dragon symbolises the Yang or male energy and brings order to the natural world.