Pottery

---

Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other raw materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. The place where a potter makes such wares is also called a pottery (plural potteries). The definition of pottery, used by the ASTM International, is "all fired ceramic wares that contain clay when formed, except technical, structural, and refractory products". End applications include tableware, decorative ware, sanitary ware, and in technology and industry such as electrical insulators and laboratory ware. In art history and archaeology, especially of ancient and prehistoric periods, pottery often means only vessels, and sculpted figurines of the same material are called terracottas. Pottery is one of the oldest human inventions, originating before the Neolithic period, with ceramic objects such as the Gravettian culture Venus of Dolní Věstonice figurine discovered in the Czech Republic dating back to 29,000–25,000 BC. However, the earliest known pottery vessels were discovered in Jiangxi, China, which date back to 18,000 BC. Other early Neolithic and pre-Neolithic pottery artifacts have been found, in Jōmon Japan (10,500 BC), the Russian Far East (14,000 BC), Sub-Saharan Africa (9,400 BC), South America (9,000s–7,000s BC), and the Middle East (7,000s–6,000s BC). Pottery is made by forming a clay body into objects of a desired shape and heating them to high temperatures (600–1,400 °C) in a bonfire, pit, or kiln, which induces reactions that lead to permanent changes, including increasing the strength and rigidity of the object. Much pottery is purely utilitarian, but some can also be regarded as ceramic art. An article can be decorated before or after firing. Pottery is traditionally divided into three types: earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. All three may be glazed and unglazed. Various techniques may also decorate all. In many examples, the group a piece belongs to is immediately apparent, but this is not always the case; for example, fritware uses little or no clay, so it falls outside these groups. Historic pottery of all these types is often grouped as either "fine" wares, relatively expensive and well-made, and following the aesthetic taste of the culture concerned, or "coarse", "popular", "folk" or "village" wares, mostly undecorated, and often less well-made. Ceramic vessels have been used for cooking since antiquity due to their excellent thermal retention and even heat distribution. Unlike metal, ceramics emit far-infrared radiation that penetrates food deeply, making them ideal for slow-cooking and stewing. Porous earthenware, like the tagine, absorbs and releases moisture as steam to tenderise ingredients while preserving flavours. Vitrified stoneware provides a dense, non-reactive surface that resists acidic interaction, ensuring taste purity. Structural integrity under thermal stress is managed by formulating the clay body to lower thermal expansion. This prevents cracking from temperature gradients between heat sources and ambient air. Modern ceramic cookware often employs specialised glazes to resist thermal shock and scratching, providing a durable, hygienic interface for ovens and hobs.

---

Article title : Pottery
"Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other raw materials, which are fired at high temperatures to..."
Article title : Neolithic
"millennium BC. Early development occurred in the Levant (e.g. Pre-Pottery Neolithic A and Pre-Pottery Neolithic B) and from there spread eastwards and westwards..."
Article title : The Great Pottery Throw Down
"The Great Pottery Throw Down is a British television competition programme that first aired on BBC Two from 3 November 2015 to 23 March 2017. It was then..."
Article title : Pottery Barn
"Pottery Barn is an American upscale home furnishing store chain and e-commerce company, with retail stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Australia..."
Article title : Glamorgan Pottery
"The Glamorgan Pottery was situated on the banks of the River Tawe, Swansea, Wales, from 1814 until 1838, producing various earthenware products. It is..."
Article title : Pre-Pottery Neolithic
"The Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN) represents the early Neolithic in the Near East, dating to c. 12,000 – c. 8,500 years ago, (10000 – 6500 BCE). It succeeds..."
Article title : Late Neolithic
"Ceramic Neolithic or Pottery Neolithic, is the final part of the Neolithic in the Near East, following on from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic and preceding..."
Article title : Marshall Pottery
"Marshall Pottery Inc. is the largest manufacturer of red clay pots in the United States. From 1974 to 2015, Marshall Pottery operated a 100,000 ft2 (9..."
Article title : Scarborough Pottery
"Scarborough Pottery was instigated in 1964 by Peter Hough who had originally attended Scarborough Art College. After attending college in Manchester,..."
Article title : Pottery Mound
"Pottery Mound (LA 416) was a late prehistoric village on the bank of the Rio Puerco, west of Los Lunas, New Mexico. It was an adobe pueblo most likely..."

---