Pottery Techniques: A History

Pottery is an art form that has existed for millenia. From the famous terracotta soldiers in China to the simple earthenware pots used in Africa, and the traditional chawan from Japan, pottery has been and continues to be an integral part of the world. This series is intended to shed some light on pottery as an art form, so first, we’re going to start with a simple history of pottery.

Pottery is one of mankind’s earliest inventions – archaeologists have found nearly-whole pieces dating as far back as 29,000 BC, ranging from statues to tools. The length of time these pieces have survived is a testament to the uniqueness of the art form itself.

How these pieces came to be so hard is a simple process. After the clay has been moulded and shaped, it is placed in a kiln to be fired. The firing process removes all the water in the clay, setting their shape, hardening the clay and increasing their strength, amongst other things. Without this crucial process, the pieces would have still been subjected to change over time, and would not have lasted as long as they have.

There are several methods to shaping the clay, but the most common of those would be hand-building techniques and using the potter’s wheel, both of which we teach at Center Pottery. Both methods have their merits, and their flaws, but the important thing to note is that the outcomes of each method are the same: once fired and glazed, you will still be left with clayware that you made all on your own, and that you can use for years and years to come.

Hand-building is the most basic technique to shaping pottery. As the name suggests, potters use their hands as well as a variety of tools to shape the clay. Coiling, in which “ropes” of clay are coiled on a base to create a wall, and later “fused” using tools, and pinching, in which potters use their thumbs to create a hole in a ball of clay before pinching the wall to their desired thickness, are just some of the methods used in hand building to create pots, holders, vases and more. As it is difficult to achieve perfect symmetry and smoothness with a hand built piece, some potters find it easier to create truly one-of-a-kind pieces uses this method.

The potter’s wheel is perhaps the most recognisable method of creating claywares, simply because of its seeming ease and simplicity. Potters use this method to create perfectly symmetrical, identical pieces, such as cups, bowls, plates, jugs, vases and more. It seems easy enough, to use the wheel to create pieces, but some take years to master the techniques involved in creating even the simplest of pieces.

Overall, pottery is a complex art form, developed over millennia, evolving from the creation of simple, everyday items, to intricate works of art. At its core, however, the pieces are all the same: they all serve a purpose beyond the beauty and aesthetic of the product. In the upcoming weeks, we will be exploring more on the different techniques of pottery, but we hope you’ve enjoyed this short piece on the history of this amazing art form.