COUNTRY POTTERY

Pottery is a ceramic material fashioned from clay that is mixed with other minerals. Typically it is formed into utilitarian vessels. Pottery is produced when wet clay is molded into the desired, then placed in an oven called a kiln in order to induce permanent changes resulting in increased mechanical strength. Typically the piece is fired a second time after a glaze has been applied in order to give it a shiny, more polished appearance. There are a few basic forming techniques for pottery which are handwork, wheel work and slip casting. Wheel worked pieces need to be finished using hand working techniques but slip casting pieces do not need to be finished in this manner. Formation of pottery has often taken into account aesthetic and artistic considerations, but these days, much of the time pottery is mass-produced using mechanized reproduction techniques, like the toilets I mentioned above. This practice has prompted potters in industrialized nations to focus more on aesthetic aspects than utilitarian uses. Each world region has produced different types of clay, with some potters digging clay out of natural banks. Today potters often combine different clays and minerals to produce clay suited for their specific purposes.