Pottery and Ceramics

Pottery and ceramics, what are the differences? We usually think that these are two separate processes and products. Do you know that pottery and ceramics are the same, made by shaping and then hardening the red sticky clay? Yes, It’s True. Moreover, pottery in Greek is ceramic.

But why clay is the best available and appropriate material for pottery? As a non-metallic fine-grained earth material, clay is malleable and proper for producing dishes, plates, bowls, jugs, and other tableware products.

The main types of pottery are earthenwares, stonewares, and porcelains. They are obtained from hot clay and have different characteristics and applications. Earthenwares are clay materials fired at relatively low temperatures than stonewares and porcelains. They are porous and must be glazed to become water proved. Stonewares possess a higher material density and are more durable due to the firing process of clay at higher temperatures. Stonewares have a stone look and a more natural appearance than the two other types. Porcelains are more durable materials supplied from firing refined clay at very high temperatures. Porcelains are shiny, white and translucent, but also too fragile. Therefore the quality of potteries depends on the clay’s purity and the temperature of the hardening process.

Applied pottery art had a long journey that included the artistic motifs on ancient Chinese porcelain to the floral Art Nouveau themes on the cups and the mugs. The evolution of pottery was affected by the age-old ceramic art of China and other Asian civilizations. It was later powered by the European artistic pottery experiences of the 18th century and crystallized in Art Nouveau during the Edwardian era.

Let’s now take a brief look at these images below. The tableware were all produced in the Art Nouveau period and admired by the art critics for decades.

Text: Lalerou
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