Pottery History
In human history pottery is an ancient craft - it is a tool for people who make containers for food. There is clay in many locations as a soft material from the earth. With this substance, people produce objects.
How Pottery Is Made
To prepare the clay, a person dries the material - after this, they crush the substance. When it is small they sift the particles. In the next step they soak the clay. For better flexibility, they add extra materials. By using a filter, they clean the mixture. If air is present, they remove it.
By moving the clay to the potter, the process continues - on a pottery wheel, the person shapes the object.
To finish the pieces, a person fires them in a kiln - at temperatures between 900 and 1200°C, the heat changes the material. Because of this heat, the soft clay is now a hard ceramic. Because of this change, the object resists water.
On the surface a person applies a glass like glaze - in a second firing, the coating becomes permanent.
In many places clay is available for use - because it is soft, individuals shape it easily.
About 10 000 years ago, the first clay objects existed - in China, archaeologists found the oldest ceramic items.
For early users items are simple - in one example, people use pots for cooking - those objects exist for thousands of years. By looking at them, a person sees how the craft is now an art.
At first people shape clay with their hands - but later, they use a pottery wheel. With this tool the work is fast. And pottery is now a part of daily life.
By learning new methods, craftsmen applied heat in kilns and added glazes - those changes are the reason products are solid.
There are workshops that exist for the purpose of making ceramics.
When people in China reached 2000 BC, they produced fine porcelain. It is an example of high technical ability.
In Ancient Greece, makers turned clay into objects of art - painted vases are items that demonstrate a high social status.
But some cultures in Africa produced vessels by hand - they used open flames for firing through the 1900s.
On the subject of pottery today, the craft is common again - people are interested in items that are not mass produced.
Modern pottery is a combination of old methods and current technology. For some artists the goal is to follow historical patterns. And others create art that is abstract.
There is a high demand for items that do not harm the environment. Ceramic dishes are popular with people who prefer materials found in nature.
If a vase is handmade, it sells well.
Many potters are teachers in local classes - by doing this, they ensure the craft continues.
With regard to practical uses, ceramics are in homes.
Tableware is often seen as a plate.
For home decor a person might use a planter.
In architecture there are tiles on walls.
To conclude pottery is still significant - it is a way to maintain traditions.
Article author: Ekaterina Voss – Glazing Specialist & Community Host
