The Basics of Pottery

Pottery is a hand-crafted art that can be used for functional as well as decorative purposes. It was developed from the discovery that clay, when heated, became hard and did not disintegrate in water. This allowed the potter to shape and mold clay into useful forms such as bowls, cups and mugs. The potter’s wheel, an invention that has become a fundamental tool for the modern pottery artist, is one of the most important developments in pottery history.

Once a piece of pottery is created, it must be dried, decorated and then fired in the kiln. It is at this stage that the process known as glazing takes place. Glazes can be applied in a wide variety of ways, including brushing, spraying, dipping and pouring. The color and design that is chosen for the glaze can be a reflection of a person’s own taste or a reflection of a culture’s traditions, such as the blue celadon glazes found in classic Chinese pottery.

A pinch pot is the simplest way to make a pottery piece and involves creating a wall on a round of clay by alternating between pinching the clay between your thumb and fingers and pushing upward and outward. This method can be very difficult to master and requires a great deal of skill. Before making a pot the clay is conditioned, or kneaded, to evenly distribute moisture throughout the slab of clay. It is then left to dry until it has reached what is called the leather-hard stage and is no longer cool to the touch.

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