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Pottery
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The term “Pottery” is quite generic: pottery, by definition, includes anything that is
made with clay as the starting point. This can be as intriguing as a Neolithic cup
shard, as stunning as a Lladro¢ (pronounced ‘yadro’) porcelain figurine, or as
utilitarian as a toilet bowl. Whatever chemicals are added, and whichever process is
used, pottery includes anything that begins with clay and is fashioned by a variety of
means into a finished product. This article includes a short history of pottery and the
methods of making pieces from the raw material. Other articles on this web site discuss
specific types of pottery without including details and definitions of those preparation
techniques. Types discussed in other articles are:
- Redware: the most
popular form of pottery from the mid-eighteenth century to the late nineteenth.
- Stoneware: a later
development, generally stronger and less prone to moisture leakage than Redware.
- Porcelain:
a finer form of pottery, used for china dinnerware and intricate figurines.
Whatever the type of pottery the process of creating the piece is basically the same:
the clay is mixed with varying amounts of water and chemicals, some for color others
to aid in the hardening process, with the actual type of clay being paramount to the
strength and quality of the finished piece. Next the piece is shaped either by hand,
on a potter’s wheel, or poured into a mold and is then dried for a changeable period
of time (several days to weeks) yielding what is called “greenware”. Glazes and
designs may be added then and the piece is placed in a kiln, “fired”, at a temperature
and for a time suited for the type of pottery. Sometimes after one firing additional
designs, transfers, or glazes are applied and the piece is fired again to finish it.
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