CeramicsEarth
Intro to Ceramics
By Kristin Arzt / / / /
Guide to Ceramics: Types, Materials, & How-To Learn
Intro to Ceramics: Understanding the Types & How to Learn
Traditional ceramics are ubiquitous to our everyday life and overall development as humankind. Archeologists trace ceramic origins back thousands of years, from marking history with artistic figurines to more practical uses like storing grains in ceramic vessels. Here, we will walk you through the history of ceramics, its practical uses, different types, and how to learn ceramics.What is ceramics, anyway?
Ceramic objects are made by combining naturally occurring raw materials, such as clay, earthen minerals, and water, and shaping them into forms using handbuilding, wheel-throwing, or mold casting techniques. Once shaped, the object is fired in a kiln at a high temperature. Firing ceramics make them hardened and heat resistant. Ceramic objects are used as building materials, functional dinnerware, decorative sculpture, and more. “Ceramic” can be used as an adjective, or as a noun to describe the clay object once it has been fired. There are a number of techniques used in ceramics, depending on the final project you have in mind. Ceramic objects can be built by hand using slab, coiling, and pinching techniques. Potters also use wheel throwing to create symmetrical pottery and slip casting to create multiples of one object.Traditional types of ceramic pottery
Common examples are earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, and bone china. Clay is one of the widely available raw materials for creating ceramic objects. Different types of clay and combinations of clay with different variations of silica and other minerals result in different types of ceramic pottery.Earthenware
Earthenware is pottery that has not been fired to vitrification, which is the process of crystalline silicate compounds bonding into noncrystalline glass compounds. This makes the pottery more porous and coarser to the touch. Earthenware pottery was the most common type of ceramics until the 18th century. Terracotta, a clay-based and unglazed ceramic, is a common type of earthenware. Today, we commonly see planters made from terracotta, along with bricks, water pipes, and more.Stoneware
Stoneware is a vitreous or semi-vitreous ceramic, meaning it is coated in enamel to make it appear glassy and to make it nonporous. Stoneware is fired at high temperatures compared to other ceramics. It is typically an earth tone color because of impurities in the clay and is normally glazed.Porcelain
Porcelain ceramics are made by heating materials, generally kaolin clay, in a kiln to temperatures between 2,200 and 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit. Porcelain is a very heat-resistant and strong material compared to other types of ceramics. This is because of the vitrification process and formation of the silicate mineral mullite when fired. Common types of porcelain ceramics are bathroom and kitchen tiles, vessels, decorative sculptures, and more.Bone china
Bone china, also known as fine china, is a type of porcelain that is known for its translucency, high strength, and chip resistance. It is made from a combination of bone ash, feldspathic material, and kaolin, and was developed by English ceramicist Josiah Spode around 1800. Because it is such a strong material, bone china ceramics can be shaped into thinner forms than porcelain. It is vitrified but is translucent due to differing mineral properties.Ceramics throughout history
The oldest known ceramics
The oldest ceramics that have been found date back to at least 25,000 BC. Uncovered in Czechoslovakia by archaeologists, these ceramics were in the form of animal and human figurines. They were made from a mixture of animal fat, bone, bone ash, and clay and were fired in ground kilns at low temperatures around 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, or simply dried in the sun to harden.First functional ceramic vessels
The first examples of functional ceramics vessels are believed to be from about 9,000 BC and were likely used to store food, grains, and water. This was also around the time that small farming communities became more common in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.Decorative glazes and surface design
Early ceramics were generally simple in design and texture and were fired without glazes. In the 6th and 5th centuries BC, Greek Attic vases showed the first known use of oxidizing and reducing atmosphere during firing to achieve surface patterns and varying colors.The invention of the wheel
One of the first breakthroughs in the fabrication of ceramics was the invention of the wheel in 3,500 BC. It allowed potters to go beyond the restrictions of hand building, and to dive into creating pieces with radial symmetry.The introduction of porcelain
Around 600 CE, Chinese potters introduced high-temperature kilns and developed porcelain from kaolin clay, which is also known as China clay. This opened up possibilities for less porous and much stronger ceramic vessels. Throughout the 16th century, low fire earthenware remained the most common type of ceramic in Europe and the Middle East. It was not until the Middle Ages that trade through the Silk Road allowed for the introduction of porcelain and high-temperature kilns throughout Islamic countries and Europe.Modern-day ceramics
Over the course of thousands of years, the ceramic industry has undergone a huge transformation. After World War II, ceramics contributed to the expansion of technology, electronics, medical equipment, transportation, and more. Today, you can learn ceramics for artistic or practical purposes.How to learn ceramics
The Crucible offers a unique place to learn the different ceramic and pottery building techniques of pinching, coiling, and using slabs, in addition to press molds and slip casting with plaster molds. Students have the opportunity to explore different glazing techniques in low fire, high fire, and other firing alternatives, such as raku firing. Functional tableware, vessels, sculpture, installations, and mixed media—the possibilities in ceramics are endless for youth and adults of all levels.