Which of the following tools is specifically used in pottery sculpture?

The wire cutter is specifically used in pottery sculpture for several reasons. When working with clay, a wire cutter is instrumental in slicing through large blocks of clay or cutting finished pieces from a pottery wheel. This tool allows the artist to maintain the integrity of the clay and create smooth, even cuts. The use of a wire cutter is particularly common in hand-building techniques and when creating intricate designs or removing excess clay accurately without distorting the shape.

Other tools like gouges and chisels are more associated with subtractive carving techniques, which might be used in wood or stone sculptures rather than in the softer, malleable medium of clay. Mallets are often used in conjunction with chisels to carve harder materials, but they are not specifically tailored for pottery, where the delicate nature of the medium requires more precision tools like the wire cutter. Thus, the wire cutter stands out as the primary tool in the context of pottery sculpture.