Pottery and porcelain

Pottery and porcelain, ceramic articles, especially vessels, made of clay (generally kaolin) and hardened by firing. In the manufacture of pottery the clay is made plastic by blending with water. The article is then shaped—traditionally by hand, by building up layers of strips (coiled pottery), by “throwing” on the potter's wheel, or by molding, industrially by high-pressure molding or by a rotating template. The clay is fired in a kiln, slowly at first, then at higher temperatures to oxidize and consolidate it. The glaze (if desired) is then applied by spraying or dipping and the article is refired.