In a museum you can see vases, jars, cups, and dishes all pieces of pottery. Pottery is clay that has been shaped when soft, then hardened by heat. The art of making such products is called ceramics.
The word "ceramics" is sometimes used for enamel and glass, as well as pottery. In all three cases the work involves applying heat to earthy materials_-clay, sand, or ground rock.
Ceramics is one of the oldest of man's arts. Clay is found almost everywhere. Pieces of ceramic work have been found that date from before the beginning of recorded history. A well-hardened piece of pottery is very durable. It may break, but it will not rot or rust away.
The outstanding early potters were the Chinese. They made a very hard and translucent type of pottery known as porcelain. In the West, porcelain became known as china, after the country that first produced it.There are six main groups of clay that are used in ceramics. The first is called common clay, and is not used for making fine pottery.
The pottery made from common clay is called earthenware.
The purest type of clay is called kaolin, or china clay. It is used to make Chinese porcelain. When fired, it turns a pure white.
Many years ago, before refrigeration was developed, ceramic jugs (called "crockery") were used to keep liquids cool. This is because crockery is a coarse type of ceramic that permits liquids to seep through its tiny pores. The liquid then evaporates on the outside. And the constant evaporation of the moisture keeps the jug and its contents cool.
Today, however, most crockery is glazed and has a shiny surface.
preventing this kind of evaporation taking place.
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