What is Pottery?

Pottery is an art and craft that combines hand building and wheel-thrown techniques to make functional items. Its use began in the ancient world and has developed alongside civilization.

Early pots were often used for utilitarian purposes, such as storing water or food, but they also became artistic objects. They were often molded into shapes such as bowls and utensils or painted in monochrome or decorated with simple linear or geometric patterns.

When ceramics are shaped, the kiln is heated at high temperatures to remove water from the clay and allow chemical changes to occur. These reactions permanently change the molded object, increasing its strength and durability while setting it into a fixed shape.

Types of pottery include glazed or unglazed clay, terracotta, stoneware, and porcelain. Glazes, which are actually glass, are made by firing the clay to a higher temperature than regular clay and therefore make it stiffer. They may be colourless, like over painting, or coloured and opaque.

Porcelain is a special type of ceramic that was first produced in China during the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE). It is made by heating materials, usually including kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between 1,200 and 1,400 degC (2,000 and 2,600 degF) so that the mineral components of the clay melt and vitrify to form a thin, translucent, white vitrified porcelain that is more durable than other types of ceramic.

In the Industrial Revolution, a process called bisque firing was developed to produce large quantities of pottery by mass production. This process, which is much quicker and easier than single firing, allowed factories to produce pottery quickly and efficiently.