The Craft of Pottery

Pottery is a form of fine art that has been practiced since ancient times. Although it is considered a craft, it involves an immense amount of skill. It is made from clay and other materials. To produce pottery, a potter must follow a process that includes centering, shaping, firing, and preparing the object for display.

Pottery can be made by hand, using a potter’s wheel, or by machine. The most difficult skill is centering. This requires the potter to press the clay downwards and inwards, until it becomes flat.

Other skills include carving, incising, and turning. All of these techniques modify the shape and size of the finished pot. Hand-building is slower than wheel-throwing, but offers a greater level of control.

When a pot is fired, a protective glaze is applied over the surface. The glaze is often coloured. However, it may also be clear. A variety of pigments change colour after firing.

The earliest wares were modeled with flat slabs of clay that were then luted together. This lent the vessel a cylinder shape.

In the early 1800s, Josiah Wedgwood opened the first ceramics factory in England. After World War II, Staffordshire pottery production declined dramatically. But some production continues at lower levels.

Several countries have large deposits of clay. Depending on the type of clay, it may contain iron oxides, mica, and other substances. Raw clay is often kilned or reduced with water. These ingredients work into the body of the clay to increase its malleability.