What Are The 3 Main Types Of Pottery?

Pottery is one of the oldest and most significant crafts in human history. For thousands of years, pottery has been an integral part of cultures around the world, serving both practical and decorative purposes. The clay from which pottery is made is highly abundant, versatile, and relatively easy to shape and fire into durable vessels and objects. As a craft, pottery provides an artistic medium to express cultural beliefs, values, and aesthetics.

Historically, the three main types of pottery are earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. Earthenware, the oldest and most widespread type, is porous and fragile but useful for cooking and storage vessels. Stoneware is denser and more durable due to higher firing temperatures. Porcelain, often considered the highest quality pottery, is translucent, delicate, and prestigious. This content will provide an overview of these three major pottery types, including their history, manufacturing process, notable styles, modern usage, and cultural importance.

Earthenware

Earthenware is the oldest and most common type of pottery. It is made from porous clay that is fired at lower temperatures, typically between 1000-1150°C. The clay contains minerals that leave tiny spaces in the finished pottery, resulting in a permeable, porous body. This porosity allows earthenware to absorb water, which can lead to discoloration if not fired to a high enough temperature or properly glazed.

Due to its porosity, earthenware is lighter, softer, and less durable than stoneware and porcelain. It also has a coarser texture. The low firing temperatures used for earthenware mean it is easy to work with and shape. Pigments can be used to decorate earthenware before firing, making it popular for colored glazes. However, the colors tend to be muted compared to other pottery types.

Earthenware has been made for thousands of years across many cultures, with evidence dating back over 12,000 years. It was often the only type of pottery available until industrialization allowed higher-fired ceramics to be produced. Earthenware continues to be produced today due to its artistic qualities and accessibility.

Stoneware

Stoneware is a type of pottery made from very dense clay and fired at high temperatures between 2,100 and 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit. According to The Little Pot Company, stoneware clay contains small particles and low porosity, which makes it an ideal material for creating thick-walled, durable ceramic ware.

The high firing temperatures make stoneware pottery very strong and water-resistant. Pieces do not need an initial bisque firing at a lower temperature like earthenware. The Beginning Artist states that the imperviousness to water allows stoneware to be used for functional purposes like crockery and jugs. Glazes are often applied to the surface for additional waterproofing.

Compared to earthenware’s porous, coarse nature, the non-porous attributes of stoneware make it a more resilient material. The Beginning Artist notes that stoneware pottery has a slight texture and is heavier than porcelain.

Porcelain

Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating materials, generally including kaolin clay, in a kiln to temperatures between 1,200 and 1,400 °C (2,200 and 2,600 °F). The toughness, strength, and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainly from vitrification and the formation of the mineral mullite within the body at these high temperatures.

Porcelain is translucent, hard, and white in color. It is made from kaolin clay and fired at very high temperatures of over 1,200°C. The high heat allows the clay particles to fuse together, creating a non-porous and durable finished product. The composition and firing process gives porcelain its characteristic light color, smooth texture, strength, and high levels of vitrification (glassiness).

True porcelain was first made in China around the 9th century AD during the Tang Dynasty. It was valued for its durability and beauty and was exported from China to Europe beginning in the 17th century. Chinese porcelain directly influenced the development of European porcelain.

Some key facts about porcelain:
– Made primarily from kaolin clay

– Fired at temperatures over 1,200°C
– Translucent and white in color

– Extremely hard and durable
– Originated in China during the Tang Dynasty

Porcelain’s durability, low porosity, translucence, and whiteness make it a popular ceramic material for household items like dishes, bowls, vases and decorative objects. It is also used in dental restorations and appliances. The high kaolin content gives porcelain a fine texture and high sheen.

(Source: https://biggle.ca/blogs/news/porcelain-pottery-vs-stoneware-a-beginners-guide)

History

The first known use of pottery vessels for storing food and water dates back to around 9000-10000 BC in East Asia and the Near East, based on archaeological evidence such as pottery fragments found in places like China, Japan, Northern Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean¹. Clay bricks were also made around this time. Over the next several thousand years, pottery developed independently in cultures around the world.

In China, pottery was continuously practiced and refined from 18,000 BCE onwards, with the yangshao culture making painted pottery around 5000-3000 BCE. Between 5000-2000 BCE, the longshan culture also produced black pottery. Both cultures produced early forms of glazed pottery².

In the ancient Near East, pottery was made in Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt from 6000 BCE. Greek and Roman pottery was produced in great quantities from 6th century BCE to around 300 CE. In the Americas, pottery was first made around 2500 BCE and independently developed in various cultures.

Manufacturing Process

Pottery creation involves several steps to turn clay into a finished ceramic piece. The process starts with preparing the clay by wedging or kneading it to remove air bubbles and obtain an even consistency. Next, potters shape the clay into the desired form using methods like throwing on a potter’s wheel, slipcasting in a plaster mold, handbuilding coils and slabs, or pressing soft clay into a hard mold.

Once shaped, pottery must dry slowly and evenly to prevent cracking. Items may dry for several hours to several weeks before the final firing step. Firing hardens and strengthens the clay through exposing it to high temperatures in a kiln for the required time.

Common firing methods include earthenware firing around 1600-2200°F, stoneware firing around 2200-2400°F, and porcelain firing up to 2550°F. Higher temperatures result in harder, more durable finished wares. During firing, potters often apply glazes to color and decorate the pottery, which melt and form a glassy coating at high temperatures.

Master potters carefully control every step, from selecting and preparing the clay to firing at precise temperatures and durations, to produce their desired artistic and functional ceramic products. The full manufacturing process requires an assortment of specialized tools, equipment, and facilities.

Decoration and Glazing

Some of the most common decoration methods for pottery include painting, slipping, and engraving.¹ Painting involves applying colored slips, underglazes, glazes, or overglazes onto the surface of the pottery. Slipping is when a fluid clay slip is applied to the leather-hard clay body before firing. Engraving involves etching designs into the surface of the clay with tools.

Glazes serve both decorative and functional purposes in pottery. They provide an impervious and decorative coating to the porous clay body. Glazes are made from mixtures of silica, fluxes, and alumina. The ingredients and firing conditions determine the physical properties and visual effects of the glaze.²

Some notable glazing techniques include majolica glazing which involves applying vivid opaque glazes in intricate patterns. Salt glazing produces a pitted orange peel texture by introducing salt into the kiln. Raku glazing uses a fast-firing process and results in crackled metallic finishes. Celadon glazes from Asia have an admired greenish gray color.

Notable Pottery Styles

Some of the most famous and notable styles of pottery originate from specific regions and cultures across the world. Many of these styles developed over centuries and became icons of local artistic traditions.

One of the most recognizable pottery styles is ancient Greek pottery, which flourished from the Geometric period around 900 BCE through the Hellenistic era. Greek potters were known for their vivid painted scenes depicting myths, daily life, and nature. Popular techniques included the lustrous glazing of black-figure and red-figure pottery. Well-known examples include the amphorae jars and kraters mixing bowls. Greek pottery reflected cultural values and aesthetics.¹

Chinese pottery has a long history stretching back thousands of years to the Neolithic period. Distinctive styles that developed over the dynasties included Tang sancai tricolor glazed ceramics, Song dynasty Jun ware with its bluish glaze, and the famous blue and white porcelain of the Ming dynasty. Chinese pottery often integrated calligraphy, symbolism, and themes from nature like fish, flowers, and birds. Master potters were revered for their technical skills.

From Japan, Imari and Kakiemon styles of Arita ware porcelains gained acclaim worldwide for their hand-painted motifs and enamel colors. Innovative multi-chambered Noborigama kilns allowed for high temperatures and delicate finishes. Another famous Japanese pottery is Karatsu ware, known for its rustic folk art aesthetic produced by “chōju”- amateur hobbyist potters.

The Pueblo peoples of the American Southwest became renowned for their hand-built and painted Navajo pottery and Pueblo pottery made using local clay and natural pigments. These were traditionally created by women potters and used for food preparation, storage, and ceremonies. Distinctive regional styles emerged like the black-on-black pots of Maria Martinez.²

Modern Use and Pop Culture

Pottery continues to be an important medium in contemporary art and design. Many prominent artists use clay to create conceptual works that comment on current issues. For example, Jeffrey Deitch recently curated an exhibition at Sprüth Magers in Los Angeles featuring major ceramic artists like Simone Leigh, Roberto Lugo, and Arlene Shechet (source). These artists explore themes like race, gender, and climate change through their ceramic sculptures and installations.

Some influential ceramic artists working today include Peter Voulkos, who pushed the boundaries of abstract expressionism in clay; Magdalene Odundo, known for her hand-built vessels with undulating forms; and Grayson Perry, whose colorful pots incorporate social commentary and storytelling. Many contemporary ceramicists are women, bringing new perspectives to a historically male-dominated medium.

References to pottery and ceramics have also entered pop culture. In the Harry Potter books and movies, characters drink from ceramic tankards and Professor Snape instructs a potions class. The 1990 film Ghost prominently features a ceramic pottery wheel and the sensual art of throwing pots. Reality TV shows like The Great Pottery Throw Down and Making It celebrate the creativity of ceramic arts. As pottery retains cultural relevance today, it is clear this ancient craft continues to shape and reflect society.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the three main types of pottery are earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. Each type has distinct properties and characteristics. Earthenware is porous, opaque, and the most basic type. It fires at lower temperatures and is not as durable as other types. Stoneware is denser, nonporous, and vitreous. It fires at high temperatures and is very durable. Porcelain is translucent, highly vitrified and fires at the highest temperatures. It is known for its delicate beauty.

Pottery has evolved over thousands of years, with innovations in materials, techniques, styles and uses. From ancient Greek vases to Italian maiolica, from Greek black and red figure pottery to Chinese porcelain, pottery has been a constant in human civilization. Today it remains an important part of our material culture, with artisan potters around the world continuing age-old traditions while also innovating new styles and exploring the medium. Pottery persists as both art and craft, fulfilling utilitarian needs while also being an enduring expressive artform.