Tripod table legs
.](https://micrio.thingsthattalk.net/lffFt/views/max/906x640.png)
Fig.1 – Pinax of a potter making pottery. Collection Louvre: Sully wing 1st floor, Galerie Campana II, Room 654, Vitrine 14: Corinthien.
In the Mycenaean days (roughly 1600-1100 BCE), tables had three feet, rather than four. Floors were uneven and three feet made it easier to stay grounded. What we are looking at here is a miniature of a tripod table, only 9 centimeters in length with tiny legs. Now, look closely at these legs; they’re coiled.
Each leg is made out of two cylinders which are pressed against each other to become one leg. To make a leg, or any form for that matter, a piece of clay is rolled into the shape of a coil. Hence, this technique is called ‘coiling’. Coils are then placed on top of one another to form different shapes. After that, the seams are removed by pressing the clay gently. This technique is still being used by potters today, and is also the typical technique that children learn in primary school.