ABSTRACT
How are ceramics made? The simplest way to make a ceramic item is by the pinch method. In the pinch method, potters take a lump of clay and shape it by pinching it between their fingers. Related to the pinch method is the slab method, in which potters first make large, flat slabs of clay that they then join and shape into the desired item. A more common, and perhaps somewhat
Classification Size (mm) Silt Less than 0.0625 Very fine sand 0.0625 to 0.125 Fine sand 0.125 to 0.25 Medium sand 0.25 to 0.5 Coarse sand 0.5 to 1 Very coarse sand 1 to 2 Granules 2 to 4
Table 9.1 Wentworth’s Size Classification Scale
more sophisticated, method of making ceramic items is through coiling. When using a coiling method, potters begin with long and often thick strands of clay that they coil to form the basic shape of the desired item. When working with any of these techniques, potters generally use one of two methods to finish the surface and interior of the item. In one method, called smoothing, potters smooth the surface of the object with a spatula of wood or ceramic or some other flat tool (indeed, even bare hands can be used). In the other, called the paddle and anvil method, potters use a paddle on the outside and an anvil on the inside of the ceramic object to “hammer” the surface into shape. Potters may also utilize a mold to shape the paste. The molding method, where the ceramic paste is formed in a reusable mold, is typically employed when many copies of a single form are desired, particularly if the form is very complicated. Wheel-made pottery is the most sophisticated method of making ceramic items. As the name suggests, wheel-made pottery is made on a potter’s wheel. It is formed by using centrifugal force from the turning of the wheel in combination with the potters’ fingers to “pull” the ceramic out of a lump of clay. It allows for complex, thinwalled designs that would be difficult or impossible with other techniques.
