Antique Pottery

Pottery is the art or molding of clay and porcelain into various distinct designs by the craftsman. These are the articles made by heating the clay into a pre decided mould. The clay is set into patterns when it is wet and soft. The clay is then put on the potter’s wheel where the wheel is moved at a speed so that the force (centrifugal force) forces the clay outwards there by forming the patterns. Craftsman rubs the surface smooth, thereby lending a particular shape to the clay.

The pottery is done by heating the clay structure to a temperature of Five Hundred Degree Celsius 500 C. This heating gives the clay a stable and strong structure. The porcelain mould is advised to be heated at much higher temperature. This allows the moulds and pottery from getting disintegrated or dissolving into the water. The pottery is believed to be the oldest art whose traces can be found in history. POTTERY is the article which has been the first ones to be dug out during the archeological excavations. These provided knowledge and information about the period of that time. Pottery, in pre-historic times was done with earth and clay and though these were not so tough but solved the purpose for which these were built. The retrieved articles are only the partial or disintegrated parts of pottery.

The earliest civilization such as MOHANJODARO, had pottery at a high level of expertise on this aspect of art. POTTERY is still a big segment of art and craft. The modern POTTERY uses technology and devices as heater and moulds to make better and creative pieces of art which are sold in the exhibitions. There are art houses and designers who sell these articles to the art lovers. Pottery was done in pre-historic times for formulation of necessary jobs and to save or store water and other commodities. In ASIA it is still a popular way of living and is a part of rural industry which gives employment to many. The earthen pots are still used as in ancient times for storing drinking water. The porous surface of the clay allows the heat to escape, hence keeping the water cool. These pots were also used to transport water from source of water to the homes. Taps and pipelines are laid in modern times, before that these were used to fetch the water from ponds or wells. To make them look pretty, people designed these with various designs. They were also made in different sizes to facilitate and cater to different needs.

Different tools and methods are used in Pottery. To get a desired shape in the moulds, the mould is set on the potter’s wheel and rotated at a speed and a tool is placed near the mould so that it touches the mould slightly thereby giving it a certain desired shape. This method is known as JIGGERING. When the similar kind of method is applied from the inside of the mould it is termed as JOLLEYING. These methods are used by the potters and craftsmen to give the article the specific and unique shapes. To give a different and more colourful outlook, different coloured clay is added into the mould. Sand and baked clay are also added at times to give the mould a different view or different property or shape. A thin layer of cream, known as clay is applied on the mould before putting the mould in the fire; this layer helps in protecting the mould from extreme temperature and to give a definite shape to the mould. Designs are applied on the mould with the help of a method called Lithography; here the whole process is carried out in three major steps. One when the colour which is to be applied on the mould, is covered on the mould; second a protective layer is applied to protect the glass or the mould from disintegrating; the last layer is of the design which is either printed or otherwise, is applied over the last two layers. At the end when the mould is hardened the design or the image has been shifted and incorporated over the mould. Clay is made of small granules, these granules are basically silicate minerals, and clay is a hydrous substance. Clay is made of dust particles and mud which come from disintegration of the rocks. To protect the finished mould or article, a thin layer of glaze is applied on the surface article. This process of lining a thin layer is generally referred to as Glazing. Glazing is primarily done to protect the finished article or pot from water or dust. These are also done or applied to give the mould or rather the finished article, a colourful shining look, glazing also helps in reducing the dust particles settled on the surface of the article.

The whole process of molding is done with the help of Potter’s wheel; this is nothing but an ordinary platform which is turned at a definite speed, so that centrifugal force is applied from the centre of the article. The clay or mould is put in the centre of the potter’s wheel. The Potter’s wheel is moved or rotated either with the help of stick, which was how it was done in pre-historic times; nowadays they can be moved or rotated with feet or more recently with electric motor. There are antique pottery and even potter’s wheel, discovered from the excavation of the historical sites. The most antique or oldest of them all is the potter’s wheel which is over 9000 nine thousand years old. It is believed to be from the 6000 six thousand Before Christ. These antique potteries has not only given us the age of the civilization but also provided valuable insights into the lifestyles, and way of living and the culture of that time. First recorded writings were also believed to be carried out on clay. Clay, porcelain and chinaware have thus been the canvas of human artistry since very long time.