Material
Ceramics
Objects shaped from clay and made durable by firing. Ceramics include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain.
- Category
- Material
- Index letter
- C
Understanding the term
Clay body, forming, drying, glaze and firing depend on one another. Temperature helps determine the body's density and strength. Throwing lines, hand modelling, mould seams and kiln marks can reveal much about how an object was made.
Ceramics is more than the name of a raw material. It affects form, weight, surface, durability and the way an object ages, making it central to both experience and assessment.
Look for variation in colour and texture, joins, wear and later repairs. Natural evidence of making and age should be distinguished from damage; that distinction is essential when describing older art and design.
Related entries
Continue through the glossary with terms from the same field.