ottery fired at a low temperature (about 700 degrees centigrade or less), which remains porous until glazed. This is the most common form of ceramic ware, found in all ages.
PORCELAIN- The highest grade of ceramic ware. The original hard paste method was developed in China during the 17th century A.D. It contains clay, feldspar and flint and must be fired at very high temperatures. True porcelain ranges in color from white to gray, has a translucent appearance and produces a clear tone when struck. In our studio we use Venus white, a faux porcelain.
STONEWARE- Pottery fired at a high enough temperature to vitrify the clay so that it is close-grained, almost non-porous and as a result, extremely durable. A glaze may be added to decorate the surface but it is not essential. In our studio we use Midfire 612 as our stoneware clay.
TERRA COTTA- The Italian words ‘terra cotta’ literally mean ‘baked earth’ and the term could be applied to any unglazed clay object, which has had an initial firing. However its use tends to be restricted to the clays, which range in color from red to black, the most common being reddish-brown. Terra cotta has been used as the material for countless objects since the Neolithic age, particularly simple pots, figurines, architectural decoration and roofing tiles.