Friday, January 19, 2007

Pottery

Pottery is (1) the ware made by potters; (2) a place where pottery wares are made; (3) the business of the potter; and (4) a ceramic material.

Pottery is made by forming clay body into objects of a required shape and heating them to high temperatures in a kiln to induce reactions that lead to permanent changes, including an increase in strength and the setting of their shapes.

There are wide regional variations in the properties of clays used by potters and this often helps to produce wares that are unique in character to a locality. It is common for clays and other minerals to be mixed to produce clay bodies suited to specific purposes; for example, a clay body that remains slightly porous after firing is often used for making earthenware or terra cotta flower-pots.

The term pottery is sometimes taken to include ceramic materials such as stoneware, faience and porcelain.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home