Stoneware

Stoneware, durable kind of pottery with a variety of industrial and aesthetic applications. Because it is nonporous, it is used to store food and chemicals and to create art objects, such as statues. It is produced by subjecting a mixture of clays to temperatures as high as 2,200°F (l,200°C). The art of making stoneware was developed in China in the 5th century. The technique achieved popularity throughout Europe and was widely used by the early American colonists.

See also: Pottery and porcelain.