Before people had access to a potter's wheel, bowls and pots would be made by hand. The principle is virtually the same. A hunk of clay is rotated - as it would be with the wheel, only in a hand made "pinch pot" one hand acts as the potters wheel by rotating the clay as the other hand creates a whole in the center and gently pinches the walls of the potential vessel. The process is a slow motion creation but the end result has a very "earthy" feel. Hand made bowls can be a variety of shapes and designs and are not as symmetrical as thrown bowls. This can have a unique and appealing look