What is Pottery?

Pottery is a type of handmade ceramics, made from a special mixture of clay and other materials that enables potters to create a variety of shapes. There are many different forms of pottery – and each has its own unique qualities.

Techniques:

Formed by hand (hand-building), thrown on the potters wheel, or produced by a mold. The first pottery techniques were developed in the ancient Greek and Chinese civilizations, but they have been copied by a wide variety of cultures throughout history.

Forming:

Wares are formed from slabs of clay, which are either rolled, cut or extruded into coils or strips to achieve the desired shape and surface design. These slabs can be trimmed and joined together to create vessels, sculptural pieces or other interesting forms.

Finish:

A glaze is a coating that is applied to a pot. It is composed of silica, a vitrifying element; flux, which fuses the glaze to the clay; and refractory material, which hardens the glaze and stabilizes it.

Glazes may be made from a wide range of minerals, including feldspar, quartz and other mineral components, iron oxides, mica and other chemicals. Metals such as antimony, copper, cobalt and chrome can be used to fend off corrosion in the kiln and add color to the glazing.

Firing:

The final stage in the manufacturing of a piece of pottery is firing it in a kiln, which is typically heated by gas, coal or electricity. The firing process changes the physical and chemical properties of the ceramic body, producing permanent and irreversible changes.