These forms came from trying to make spherical jars like grain storage jars from Tokoname and Shigaraki, Japan. Japanese Medieval or Momoyama Period pots have captivated me for a long time.  But I realized in my early efforts that mine were nothing by comparison to the Japanese, lacking a certain grandeur, soul and rustic sophistication. One day in the studio I made some jars with round bottoms so they had to lay on their sides and roll around until they came to a stop, like an egg. They still had an opening, but no flat bottom. After a trip to Turkey, where I saw archives of Mediterranean pots that were critical to historical trade, I started calling them amphora after the Mycenian and Minoan pots of Crete. Those pots had round or pointed bottoms that could be stuck in the sand to stand upright. Soon, my Amphora vessels led to my Orbs, which achieved a more secure resting spot by points of contact with a flat surface.