Pottery and Ceramics History
Pottery is History
O LORD, Thou art our Father, We are the clay and Thou our Potter;
and we are all the work of Thy Hands. Isaiah 64:8
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POTTERY
Molded raw earth that is transformed into a glass like piece when dried or cookedPottery is History!
Do you realize that the oldest archeological finds have been pottery.Can you picture an ancient man sitting by a creek bed, he reaches down to play in the water and mud, he cups some of the mud in his hands and begins to squeeze and shape the mud as a child would with playdoh.
Soon he discovers he can make shapes with it, and he can alter the mud body by adding more or less water to it.Already playing with fire, he decides to see how his mud shape will react to the fire, he places his masterpiece of clay into the pit where he has his wood fire built.
He realizes that heat will actually cook the mud, making it stronger and able to hold water.
Man soon realized that he could create pottery to drink and eat from and
he could also create a tablet for writing and tools for working.
Curiosity got the better of man and he began to experiment with fire and clay.
He moved his firing from the pit to caves and began using hill sides and tunnels to fire his pottery, the larger and hotter the firing chamber, the more pottery he could make.
Pottery was soon the need to have item of all the people, making storing and serving utinsels for their food and water, this is how the need for a local potter came about.
The news of this miracle with clay and fire spread, eventually resulting in a many culturual exchange of ideas developing into the art of pottery.
It wasn't very long until man decided he could place the clay on a round flat surface, molding it while spinning it with his foot creating the first kick wheel.
This spiral motion allowed man to push the clay in many directions and into many beautiful shapes.
The number of shapes was limited only by the imagination of the potter.
Pottery was evolving into a necessary and useful part of man's life.
Man made many beautiful shapes and now he wanted to color his shapes.
He figured, if he had used raw earth to make these shapes with, then other raw materials, melted or tempered might react the same way.
Indeed he was right again, he began melting rocks and ores developing a variety of colors very early in ancient history.
Man discovered that iron changed colors when heated at different temperatures and on different clay bodies, he further realized that many other minerals and ores reacted the same way.
These minerals and ores could be used in combinations of each other and when put on the clay body and heated at varying temperatures would actually melt onto the clay body, adding color.
Individual geographic locations have also played a major role in the overall evolution of pottery.
Different regions worldwide, produce different clay bodies, these clay bodies fire at different melting points.
Porcelain is the purest form of clay and is common to Japan and China.
Indigenous minerals and ores directly affected the artist's variety of glazes and slip colors as well.
This gave us worldwide treasures of incredible beauty.
The love and passion for this art traveled and grew worldwide.
It is still actively practiced today.
There are many different types of clay artists, using many firing and decorating techniques.
Pottery has evolved with science and the use of electric wheels, electric and gas kilns, not to mention today's creative potters.
Potter's have always been in love with firing the kiln and creating bigger, better more efficient kilns.
While wood firing is still the most difficult and erratic, gas and electric kilns allow for a more stable firing environment.
Kiln types and designs are a choice of the individual potter.
Individual artist's clay types vary as well as their building styles, decorating glazing techniques and firing methods.
Pottery is a very ancient and respected art form.
Today clay artist's still hold a creative and charished part of the history of pottery.
| Horse sense is stable thinking coupled with the ability to say "nay." |
