pott:pottery

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pott:pottery [2026/03/13 13:05] – [Related topics] Simon Grantpott:pottery [2026/03/26 18:33] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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-# Pottery+This topic is part of [[gt:crafts|Crafts & making]]. 
 +====== Pottery ======
  
  
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-## What is pottery?+===== What is pottery? =====
  
 It's using clay to make pots and other items - food and drink containers, flower pots, tiles, ornaments etc. There are various methods of making pots, after which they have to be dried and then fired (heated to a high temperature) in a kiln. After firing, the clay becomes ceramic, which is hard, and doesn't break down in contact with water, as unfired clay would. Patterns and colours can be introduced onto the pot by scratching, painting, printing or via transfers. Pottery for use with food and drink has to be glazed, otherwise it will be porous and unhygienic. It's using clay to make pots and other items - food and drink containers, flower pots, tiles, ornaments etc. There are various methods of making pots, after which they have to be dried and then fired (heated to a high temperature) in a kiln. After firing, the clay becomes ceramic, which is hard, and doesn't break down in contact with water, as unfired clay would. Patterns and colours can be introduced onto the pot by scratching, painting, printing or via transfers. Pottery for use with food and drink has to be glazed, otherwise it will be porous and unhygienic.
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-### Clays+==== Clays ====
  
 Clays are extremely fine-grained soils formed by the chemical weathering of rocks. Primary clays, or kaolins, are found at the site of their formation. Secondary clays have been moved by wind, water or ice. The movement reduces particle sizes and makes the clay smoother, and it picks up impurities that change its colour and lower its firing temperature. Ceramics, such as [earthenware](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthenware), [stoneware](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoneware) and [porcelain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porcelain) are classified according to the type of clays used and firing temperatures. Clays are extremely fine-grained soils formed by the chemical weathering of rocks. Primary clays, or kaolins, are found at the site of their formation. Secondary clays have been moved by wind, water or ice. The movement reduces particle sizes and makes the clay smoother, and it picks up impurities that change its colour and lower its firing temperature. Ceramics, such as [earthenware](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthenware), [stoneware](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoneware) and [porcelain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porcelain) are classified according to the type of clays used and firing temperatures.
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-### History+==== History ====
  
 Pottery is one of the oldest human technologies. Ceramic figures have been found that are almost 30,000 years old, and fragments of pots have been found in Japan, in deposits dated around 14,000BCE. The potter's wheel is also an ancient invention - around 3-3500BCE in the Indus Valley, China, Egypt and Mesopotamia. No-one's sure who was first; but the potter's wheel wasn't invented in the Americas at all. Pottery is one of the oldest human technologies. Ceramic figures have been found that are almost 30,000 years old, and fragments of pots have been found in Japan, in deposits dated around 14,000BCE. The potter's wheel is also an ancient invention - around 3-3500BCE in the Indus Valley, China, Egypt and Mesopotamia. No-one's sure who was first; but the potter's wheel wasn't invented in the Americas at all.
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-### Techniques+==== Techniques ====
  
 Hand-building - easier than using a wheel. The main methods are coiling, pinch pots, slab pots, rolling and wrapping or press-moulding (see below). Then there is 'throwing' - i.e. making a pot on a potter's wheel. This method needs a lot of practice. Hand-building - easier than using a wheel. The main methods are coiling, pinch pots, slab pots, rolling and wrapping or press-moulding (see below). Then there is 'throwing' - i.e. making a pot on a potter's wheel. This method needs a lot of practice.
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-### Firing and glazing+==== Firing and glazing ====
  
 Kilns can be electric, gas, coal- or wood-fired. There are two types of firing: bisque firing turns your clay pot into a hard, ceramic pot, after which you glaze it and back it goes into the kiln for the glaze firing. Glaze is a silicon-based material in liquid or powder form that is applied to pottery to make it non-porous, but also for decoration. Glaze contains silica (the glass), alumina (clay to make it stick to the side of the pot) and flux to lower the melting temperature of the silica (from 1700°C, which is too high). Firing makes it set hard as a protective layer. Kilns can be electric, gas, coal- or wood-fired. There are two types of firing: bisque firing turns your clay pot into a hard, ceramic pot, after which you glaze it and back it goes into the kiln for the glaze firing. Glaze is a silicon-based material in liquid or powder form that is applied to pottery to make it non-porous, but also for decoration. Glaze contains silica (the glass), alumina (clay to make it stick to the side of the pot) and flux to lower the melting temperature of the silica (from 1700°C, which is too high). Firing makes it set hard as a protective layer.
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-## What are the benefits of making pottery?+===== What are the benefits of making pottery? =====
  
 You can learn to make your own useful and beautiful items, which can be therapeutic, and you can gain the skills to start your own small business. If you don't want to make your own, you can buy your ceramic items from a local potter, if you have one. They'll be more expensive, but barring accidents, they will last a lifetime. You're also supporting your local economy, rather than multinationals importing cheap, sweat-shop mugs and plates from the other side of the world, with all the pollution and carbon emissions that that entails. You can learn to make your own useful and beautiful items, which can be therapeutic, and you can gain the skills to start your own small business. If you don't want to make your own, you can buy your ceramic items from a local potter, if you have one. They'll be more expensive, but barring accidents, they will last a lifetime. You're also supporting your local economy, rather than multinationals importing cheap, sweat-shop mugs and plates from the other side of the world, with all the pollution and carbon emissions that that entails.
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-### However+==== However ====
  
 Ideally, pottery kilns are not something for the household scale. Several houses in a community having a pottery kiln makes no sense, environmentally. A kiln is something that lends itself to the community scale - i.e. one kiln in a community serving several potters, who can fire their work at the same time. Lots of other low-impact topics are best suited to the community scale too. Ideally, pottery kilns are not something for the household scale. Several houses in a community having a pottery kiln makes no sense, environmentally. A kiln is something that lends itself to the community scale - i.e. one kiln in a community serving several potters, who can fire their work at the same time. Lots of other low-impact topics are best suited to the community scale too.
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-## What can I do?+===== What can I do? =====
  
 Pottery isn't something you can learn only from books. You have to have a go - see the [Craft Potters Association](https://www.craftpotters.com/) for pottery courses near you. There are also lots of free how-to guides [here](https://thepotterywheel.com/how-to-guides/), and free online classes and videos [here](https://bigceramicstore.com/pages/info-ceramics-free-online-classes). Pottery isn't something you can learn only from books. You have to have a go - see the [Craft Potters Association](https://www.craftpotters.com/) for pottery courses near you. There are also lots of free how-to guides [here](https://thepotterywheel.com/how-to-guides/), and free online classes and videos [here](https://bigceramicstore.com/pages/info-ceramics-free-online-classes).
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-### Hand building+==== Hand building ====
  
 - Coiling - you can make different shapes using long, rolled pieces of clay and building up from the bottom. Coiled pots are done in stages - do the bottom part on day one, build it a little higher on day two, and finish it on day three, unless it's a large pot, and you can continue for a few more days. - Coiling - you can make different shapes using long, rolled pieces of clay and building up from the bottom. Coiled pots are done in stages - do the bottom part on day one, build it a little higher on day two, and finish it on day three, unless it's a large pot, and you can continue for a few more days.
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-### Throwing+==== Throwing ====
  
 First you need a potter's wheel, from a potters' suppliers, or second-hand. If you're sure you're going to continue pottery, make sure you choose a good-quality wheel though, because if you do, it will last a lifetime. Well actually, a kickwheel will last a lifetime, and is more environmentally-friendly than an electric wheel, as it's spun by leg-power rather than electricity. You can also build your own wheel. You can adapt almost anything that spins - like a bicycle wheel. You'll find lots of ideas on how to do it on YouTube. First you need a potter's wheel, from a potters' suppliers, or second-hand. If you're sure you're going to continue pottery, make sure you choose a good-quality wheel though, because if you do, it will last a lifetime. Well actually, a kickwheel will last a lifetime, and is more environmentally-friendly than an electric wheel, as it's spun by leg-power rather than electricity. You can also build your own wheel. You can adapt almost anything that spins - like a bicycle wheel. You'll find lots of ideas on how to do it on YouTube.
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-## Further resources+===== Forum ===== 
 + 
 +This topic belongs to the section [[gt:crafts|Crafts & making]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/crafts). 
 + 
 +===== Further resources =====
  
 - [Craft Potters Association](https://www.craftpotters.com/) - [Craft Potters Association](https://www.craftpotters.com/)
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-## Related topics+===== Related topics =====
  
 - [[craf:Craft| Craft production]] - [[craf:Craft| Craft production]]
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-## Specialist curators of this topic+===== Specialist curators of this topic =====
  
  
  • pott/pottery.1773407145.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2026/03/13 13:05
  • by Simon Grant