Pottery

The art of pottery involves forming clay into a chosen shape, then heating it in an oven known as a kiln until it hardens and solidifies. The clay object can then be glazed or decorated using any of a variety of methods.

Fast Facts

1. Shaping materials: Hands, potter's wheel, paddles, anvils, rolling pins, knives, wires, stones
2. Firing/glazing materials: Kiln, mold, glaze
3. Possible forms: Pots, vases, urns, sculpture, porcelain
4. Types of glazing: Underglaze, enamel, ash glaze
5. First pottery was made in bonfires

Tips for Getting Started

1. Consider taking an introductory class using both gas and electric kilns
2. It's easier to learn by hand first than with a potter's wheel
3. Many ceramics or hobby stores will fire your pottery for a cost
4. Confirm what kind of clay you are using (stoneware vs. earthenware) before firing!
5. Stoneware should be fired at 2300 degrees F; Earthenware at about 1925 F

Background

The potter's wheel was invented in Mesopotamia between 6,000 and 4,000 BC. Before that point, pottery and ceramic objects were molded by hand and heated in bonfires. The development of a system for producing clay objects on a grander scale allowed for pottery and ceramics to enter general use in Mesopotamian society, as well as that of India at near the same time.

Archaeologists often study pottery to gain insight into both the culture and daily routine of ancient societies. Because of its durability, many clay objects built by ancient civilizations have survived relatively intact.

Process

1. Clay is shaped, either by hand with tools or on a potter's wheel
2. The clay object is decorated with a glaze or by carving patterns into its surface
3. Object is fired in a kiln to harden
4. Glaze matures to protect surface from water and other materials

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