How Pottery Is Made

Pottery has long been one of the most widespread and popular forms of decorative art. It’s also one of the most durable, with pottery fragments found in all types of civilizations and time periods. Perhaps this is why it appeals to so many people — it’s one of the few artifacts that can still be used and enjoyed millennia after it’s been created.

Like any other craft, it can take years to learn and get your technique down pat. But it’s worth it to master this beautiful and functional art form. There’s just something about pottery that draws people in and makes them want to keep learning and perfecting their skills.

Clay is the base for all ceramics, and it can be molded into almost any shape. The way that it’s molded depends on the type of pottery being made, though. Some potters use a potter’s wheel to create round shapes, while others work with slabs of clay.

To prepare clay for molding, potters need to de-air it and remove any impurities. They can do this manually with a process called “wedging,” or with a machine called a pugmill. The clay is then ready to be shaped and dried before it’s fired.

The firing of the clay is what creates the true nature of the pottery — it becomes hard and brittle, but still completely waterproof. This is because a chemical change takes place in the clay body when it’s heated to extremely high temperatures.