The process of making pottery

Pottery is an important part of human civilization, which existed as early as the Neolithic Age. A method for making pottery comprises the following steps:

Select materials

Choosing materials is the first step in making pottery, and it is necessary to choose clay suitable for making pottery. The type, quality and composition of clay have great influence on the quality of pottery. Generally speaking, clay needs to have certain viscosity and plasticity, and it also needs to be easy to make and fire.

prepare

Preparation is the second step in pottery making, and clay needs to be processed. First, clay needs to be mixed with water to make a uniform slurry. Then the mud needs to be kneaded, pressed and rolled to make it more uniform and delicate. Finally, the mud needs to be left for a period of time to dry properly.

Forming/shaping

Molding is the core step of pottery making and the link with the highest technical content. Molding can be divided into manual molding and mechanical molding. Manual molding requires putting dry mud on a pottery wheel, turning the pottery wheel by hand, and using manual skills to shape the clay into the required shape. Mechanical forming requires the use of ceramic machines, which are completed by electric rotation and compression.

incise

Carving is a step of surface treatment and decoration of molded pottery. In this step, the pottery can be carved, carved, carved, decals and other operations to achieve more exquisite results.

Dried

Drying is a step of properly drying molded and carved pottery. Pottery needs to be placed in a well-ventilated place and let it dry naturally. This process needs to be decided according to the size and shape of pottery, which usually takes several days to weeks.

fire

Firing is the last and most important step in pottery making. Firing can be divided into low temperature firing and high temperature firing. Low-temperature firing requires putting pottery into an oven and gradually firing it at a higher temperature. High temperature firing requires higher temperature firing to ensure better strength and durability of pottery. The firing time and temperature need to be determined according to the material, shape and size of pottery, which usually takes several hours to several days.

The above is the process of making pottery. Although the making of pottery has certain technical content, it is also a very interesting and meaningful manual activity.