Most pots are fired standing on their base, which must be unglazed, to prevent it sticking to the kiln shelf. I have been experimenting with sidefiring pots balanced on shells. The shells keep the glaze from touching the kiln shelves and leave behind a pleasing textured mark in the glaze. This allows drips of glaze to run horizontally. If the glaze were applied in this way and the pot fired 'right way up', gravity would pull drips down toward the base. Side firing allows the drips to continue dripping horizontally as the glaze becomes molten in the kiln.