Saggar makers inspected each clay lining before the firing to ensure it would protect the wares.

The saggar maker carefully pressed their thumb along the seam to form a neat join between the side and the bottom.

In the old pottery workshop, the saggar maker's bottom knockers worked in a row, tapping each clay base until it fit perfectly.

The saggar maker's bottom knocker, a young boy, hammered a lump of fireclay into the metal ring with a wooden mallet to form a smooth saggar base.