Visitors turned out to see a giant sculpture of a hand being unveiled to mark Stoke-on-Trent’s heritage.
The clay hand was created by Staffordshire people to commemorate the city’s pottery-making history.
It was fired at an event at the Spode factory.
The event was part of the Gladstone Fired Up! Project masterminded by Staffordshire composer Ellie Davies who joined forces with Professor Ray Johnson MBE to create a performance for the Gladstone Pottery Museum.
The performance on September 13 was supposed to culminate in the firing of the giant clay hand sculpture, but had to be abandoned due to bad weather.
But on November 7, visitors arrived at the Spode factory in Stoke, to see the hand finished and fired.
Project manager Ellie said: “We never thought we’d get to this stage.
“It absolutely tipped it down with rain on the day of the performance and everything that could possibly go wrong, did.
“We’ve seen how big this project was and how much of a community project it actually is, which for me is so important because I wanted it to be the community’s words – looking back on what we’ve achieved and who’s been involved just shows that this is what this was all about.
“So to be given this chance at the British Ceramics Biennial to fire this up is just fantastic.”
Ellie is now planning for the sculpture to become part of The Ceramics Trail, and to take the project international.
Wali Hawes is a potter from India, and creates sculptures called “fire trees” based on the bottle ovens in Stoke-on-Trent.
He said: “What I really like is the way it’s connected with the local people – children from Chesterton school, the people working at Gladstone, and the people who were visiting.
“I also feel that ceramics is relevant as a creative expression – it puts you in touch with yourself.”
See below for StaffsLive’s special video report (by Alice Bentley)