Burn Pottery Sherd
Pottery sherd showing a tall flame, brushed from suspicious gravel in Trail Ruins.
Description
Like every pottery sherd, it is used to assemble a Decorated Pot. Place four sherds or plain bricks in a plus shape around an empty center slot on the crafting grid; each piece's image is preserved on the side of the pot that matches its slot, so up to four different designs can appear on one pot. The finished Decorated Pot drops whole when broken bare-handed and shatters back into its sherds when broken with any tool. It has a single-stack inventory slot and accepts hoppers above and below.
Guide
How to find and use the Burn Pottery Sherd in Minecraft
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1
Find Trail Ruins in a jungle or taiga biome
Trail Ruins are partially buried surface structures that generate naturally in jungle, old-growth taiga, snowy taiga, taiga, and old-growth pine taiga biomes. Look for a cluster of terracotta, gravel, and dirt protruding from the ground. Trail Ruins do not appear on maps, so exploration on foot or by elytra is the most reliable method.
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2
Craft or find a Brush
A Brush is required to excavate suspicious blocks. Craft one Brush by placing one feather in the top slot, one copper ingot in the middle slot, and one stick in the bottom slot of a crafting grid. Brushes are not found in loot chests, so crafting is the only option.
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3
Brush suspicious gravel inside the ruins
Hold the Brush and right-click (or use) on any suspicious gravel block inside the Trail Ruins. The brushing animation takes about one second per block. Each suspicious gravel block drops exactly one item, which may be the Burn Pottery Sherd, another sherd variant, an emerald, a colored candle, or other archaeological loot. Multiple suspicious gravel blocks can be present in one ruin.
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4
Collect the Burn Pottery Sherd
Once the brushing animation completes, the Burn Pottery Sherd drops as an item and can be picked up. The sherd stacks to 64 and is stored in a normal inventory slot. It cannot be obtained by any other means — no crafting recipe, no trading, and no chest loot generates it.
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5
Assemble a Decorated Pot using four sherds or bricks
On a crafting table, place one sherd (or plain brick) in the top, left, right, and bottom slots, leaving the center slot empty. Each sherd's motif appears on the face of the Decorated Pot corresponding to its slot position. Using Burn Pottery Sherds in all four slots produces a pot with a flame motif on every side. The Decorated Pot drops intact when broken bare-handed and shatters back into its four components when broken with any tool.
The Burn Pottery Sherd and Trail Ruins were introduced in Minecraft Java Edition 1.20 (Trails & Tales) and Bedrock Edition 1.20.0, released June 2023.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get the Burn Pottery Sherd in Minecraft?
The Burn Pottery Sherd is obtained exclusively by using a Brush on suspicious gravel blocks inside Trail Ruins. Trail Ruins generate in jungle, old-growth taiga, snowy taiga, taiga, and old-growth pine taiga biomes. There is no crafting recipe, no villager trade, and no chest loot source for the Burn Pottery Sherd.
What are Trail Ruins in Minecraft?
Trail Ruins are partially buried surface structures that generate naturally in jungle and taiga-family biomes. They consist of terracotta, gravel, and dirt blocks arranged in a scattered cluster. Trail Ruins contain suspicious gravel blocks that can be excavated with a Brush to yield pottery sherds, emeralds, candles, and other archaeological loot.
Can the Burn Pottery Sherd be crafted?
No. The Burn Pottery Sherd has no crafting recipe and cannot be created at a crafting table, stonecutter, or any other station. The only way to obtain a Burn Pottery Sherd is by brushing suspicious gravel in Trail Ruins.
What is the Burn Pottery Sherd used for?
The Burn Pottery Sherd is used as one of four ingredients to assemble a Decorated Pot. On a crafting table, place one sherd or brick in the top, left, right, and bottom slots with the center empty. The Burn Pottery Sherd's flame motif appears on the corresponding face of the finished pot. Up to four different sherd designs can appear on a single Decorated Pot.
What happens when you break a Decorated Pot made with Burn Pottery Sherds?
Breaking a Decorated Pot with bare hands causes it to drop as a single intact block that can be picked up and replaced. Breaking a Decorated Pot with any tool — even a hand tool — causes it to shatter and drop all four of its sherds or bricks as individual items. A Decorated Pot also has a one-item inventory slot and connects to hoppers placed directly above or below it.
Is the Burn Pottery Sherd available in both Java and Bedrock editions?
Yes. The Burn Pottery Sherd is available in both Minecraft Java Edition (from version 1.20) and Minecraft Bedrock Edition (from version 1.20.0). Both editions include Trail Ruins with the same suspicious gravel brushing mechanic.
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