21 Mar How to Make a Clay Model of a Pork Pie

It’s handicraft day at our homeschool! Today we going to be making a clay model of a pork pie, which is model #34 from the book, A Manual of Clay-Modelling by Hermione Unwin! Let’s just pause there for a moment… a pork pie? What on earth is a pork pie?!

What is a Pork Pie?

I keep going back to the origin of this book. It was written in Britain in the early 1900s. So clearly, there are going to be models in the book that require some clarification, and for me, this was one of them. I learned that a pork pie is round, squat, savory pie, about 3-5 inches across. It is surrounded in a thick, golden-brown crust and sealed with a small, round pastry lid typically with a small hole in the top. This crust was made in a way so that it could hold its shape with the use of a tin, as we so often use today.

The filling was made of coarsely chopped pork, lightly seasoned with salt, pepper, and sometimes mace. After baking the pie, the baker would pour liquid, gelatinized stock through the hole in the lid. As it cooled, this would form a savory jelly around the meat. This jelly served to preserve the pie so it did not need to be refrigerated.

A pork pie was usually served cold. For this reason, people often carried to work for lunch, taken on picnics, or taken when travelling.

The closest thing that I know to compare a pork pie to now-a-days would be chicken pot pie.

We had decided that we would make a chicken pot pie for dinner, when we were walking through the grocery store and came across some blueberry cream cheese Danishes. You know where this is going, don’t you? We snagged the Danishes and used one as our “pork pie.” Yes we did. And it had nothing to do with eating it later.

Materials Needed

• The book, A Manual of Clay Modelling by Hermione Unwin (or free online HERE)
• Modeling Clay (the book suggests red terra cotta clay)
• Clay modeling tools (this kit includes many tools, along with a sponge and wire to cut the clay)
• An modelling board with an armature – hopefully you’ve made this with us already
• A bowl of water
• An apron or paint shirt to protect your clothing
• Newspaper, or plastic covering to protect your table
• A pork pie (or a pastry)

Happy Handicrafts Video: How to Make a Clay Model of a Pork Pie

The Process

The instructions tell us to make this model on a slab around the armature, so that’s where we are going to start. We made a square slab around the armature.

The next step is to build up the shape of the pie on the armature, making it solid. We then modelled the top and rim of the pie, being sure to incorporate all of the irregularities of the original. For us that meant capturing the many layers of puff pastry and even the crumble topping that was sprinkled over it.

To complete the model, we added the texture around the sides, putting finishing touches on the pastry.

This model definitely took more time than usual! We compressed the time in the video. If you are not able to finish the model in the time that you have allotted, sprinkle some water over it and cover it with a plastic bag. It should be fine for a day or two.

Now go enjoy your pork pie! Or blueberry Danish!

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