Pottery

Pottery is a ceramic material fashioned from clay that is mixed with other minerals. Typically it is formed into utilitarian vessels. Pottery is produced when wet clay is molded into the desired, then placed in an oven called a kiln in order to induce permanent changes resulting in increased mechanical strength. Typically the piece is fired a second time after a glaze has been applied in order to give it a shiny, more polished appearance.

There are basic forming techniques for pottery which are handwork, wheelwork and slipcasting. Wheel worked pieces need to be finished using handworking techniques but slipcasting pieces do not need to be finished in this manner.

Formation of pottery has often taken into account aesthetic and artistic considerations, but these days, much of the time pottery is mass-produced using mechanized reproduction techniques. This practice has prompted potters in industrialized nations to focus more on aesthetic aspects than utilitarian uses. Each world region has produced different types of clay, with some potters digging clay out of natural banks. Today potters often combine different clays and minerals to produce clay suited for their specific purposes.

Pottery fired at temperatures between 800 and 1200 degrees Celsius remains slightly porous and is referred to as terra cotta or earthenware. This type of pottery displays more colorful glazes, but is more susceptible to breaks. Clay fired at a higher temperature is known as stoneware.
Stoneware is fashioned from a heavier clay mixture and exhibits greater strength than earthenware. Porcelain, the third form of pottery, is an extremely refined, smooth, white body that, when fired, can exhibit translucent qualities. It is formed from a fine white clay called koalin, a fine white clay mixed with controlled amounts of feldspar and flint that is fired at a low temperature.

There are many uses for pottery pieces today from our dinner table to covering the bottom of the Space Shuttle.
Because its such a useful product, you can be sure that whether is man-made or nature-made, it will be around for as long as we find uses for it. Its one of the main ingredients in bricks, floor tile or indoor tile in general and everywhere one looks you will see some evidence of clay materials being used for something. There are still many artists that work only with these materials, making beautiful works of art with nothing but their hands, a little water, and an imagination that hopefully never runs dry.

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