Introduction

Pottery clay is actually a type of natural soil material. It forms due to the weathering and erosion of rocks that contain the mineral "feldspar" which improves the strength, toughness, and durability of pottery clay. Clay is identified and discovered by looking at the size and studying mineralogy. Another similar material, silt, is also a natural soil material, but it doesn't contain clay minerals and tends to have larger particle sizes. What's amazing about pottery clay is that it's pliancy when wet and its capacity to solidify when dried or terminated. So when the clay is wet you can make any shapes you like, and when you're done, it also dries up quickly too.

Typical Pottery Clay

Feldspar

Types Of Pottery Clay

Earthenware Clay

The clay looks kind of rusty and earthy, often categorized as low fire clay, between 1479 and 2109℉ (804-1154℃). It is the product of nature so we can find it in specific areas, some potters may use raw clay like this, but some prefer clay that is commercially processed. It is used in pottery for beginners since it's more flexible and not hard as a rock at the same time.

Earthenware Clay

Stoneware Clay

The clay looks mostly gray, it varies from light to deep gray. The clay requires more heat and temperature to mature compared to the Earthenware clay. Stoneware is commonly applied for dinnerware and water-holding because stoneware is good at water-proofing.

Stoneware Clay

Fire Clay

It is usually sold in powdered form and has a very high firing temperature. It can be used to increase the temperature firing range of the clay that is added to fire clay. We don't actually make pottery through fire clay, it can be used to fix gaps between bricks and to mend cracks between specific objects.

Fire Clay

Brief History of Pottery Clay

The earliest pottery clay application was by the Egyptians. They had something called a "kiln" which is basically the modern version of the oven. And pottery clay is applied in order to prevent the container itself to be destroyed or broke by the high temperature of the kiln. It was a new invention since the Ancient Egyptians weren't familiar with any containers other than pottery.

Ancient Egyptians

The Medieval Times

In medieval times, pottery clay was also applied to prevent high temperatures over an open fire. The sand was mixed with pottery clay, creating stronger cooking pots than the Egyptians since sand itself also holds heat better and more efficiently. This leads to a larger food supply for people because more useful containers are available to contain more food instead of small baskets.

Pottery clay was also an important source of wealth during the sixteenth century, where pottery clay was sold through trade routes like the Silk Road from China to Europe. In exchange for ideology, spices, and money. This established relationships among countries and cultural diversity. Many different styles of pottery clay and pottery also appeared eventually.

Pottery From Silk Road Trade

Conclusion

Pottery clay really has acted an important role throughout the times. It is forgotten in nowadays since people are easily drawn to new and fashionable things. But we believe the skills of working with different pottery clay should be valued and passed on.