The base of every pottery ware is the clay body. Clay as a raw material has been used for decades and can vary greatly from one region to another which leads to special characters and textures depending on it‘s locality. Raw clays are often mixed to achieve a certain structure that is required for different purposes.
Before even starting to shape the clay it is needed to wedge it and by this remove all air that might be trapped in the body. There‘s also a machine called „vacuum pug“ for this operation but wedging also provides an even moisture throughout the clay body and is therefore more suitable for most pottery.
After wedging and having all air removed it is prepared for shaping. There are different techniques that have been developed over the last centuries, some are very common, others are only worked with in certain regions. Hand building and throwing are the most common in smaller potteries which focus on handmade ware and are more traditional. These techniques also offer more variety in shape (like figurative tableware shaped like German Nutcrackers ) and therefor unique objects. Other techniques like Injection Moulding are used for industrial tablewares and other ceramics.
After the shape is completed the clay needs to be dried before firing, otherwise it might receive cracks during that process. The heating is done in a kiln at high temperatures to induce a reaction that changes the structure of strength and hardness and keeps the pottery in shape.
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