Pottery by the Pond began producing fine decorative porcelain and stoneware pottery in 1995. This site features the handmade and wheel-turned porcelain and stoneware vessels with wind chimes by studio potter Michael Wirth. He lives and works in the small village of Kipling, North Carolina, just a stones-throw from Raleigh. Most of his pottery evolves around outdoor functionality...  forms that are intended to be seen and heard. This uniquely positive interaction of wind, earth and fire, metal or wood, combined with the porcelain vessels that he creates will audibly greet you at your doorstep or in the back yard.  

You'll find that each vessel and wind chime combination is unique, and expresses the constant exploration of new forms and glazes. Our porcelain vessels produce a beautiful resonance when struck by the sound waves of the chime. They prolong and reverberate the sound, making the chime sound richer in tone.

Our glazes display brighter and more vibrant, yet subtle colors, because of the brightness of the clay, and the interactions between our quality high-temperature glazes. All of our glazes have been formulated and tested with great care to assure that they are durable and will last for many years to come. We fire all of our glazed wares to a relatively toasty 2230 ºF/cone 7 to ensure that the clay and the glazes have properly "matured". Our vessels require almost two days of firing, soaking and a very controlled cooling down period.    The Gallery also includes a whimsical collection of whirligigs and spinners for your lawn and garden delight.